


Priest

by KaguraHale



Category: Naruto
Genre: Adventure, Angst, Assassin - Freeform, Betrayal, Children, Demons, Epic, F/M, Fighting, Kidnapping, Love, Magic, Murder, Religion, Romance, Swordfighting, Tension, Violence, enslavement
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-27
Updated: 2018-02-02
Packaged: 2019-03-09 22:53:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 26
Words: 28,439
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13491492
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KaguraHale/pseuds/KaguraHale
Summary: ♥ She was forcefully taken from her village as a child. Forced to grow up around a group of ninja who were killers by heart. They raised her in their ways and taught her that you feel no emotion for your opponent. No mercy for the weak. No compassion for a victim. Though, after one inadequate mission, her life is thrown back into chaos as she is forced to reevaluate everything. ♥





	1. Orders

        “You’re going to do this mission, Rae,” Said her master, irritation in his voice, though he did his best to never let it show in his expression.

        “Why? I don’t want to and I’m not going to. You took me from that village and now it’s finally starting to re-build itself. Yet you want me to destroy it all over again?! I am _not_ going after my own village!” She shot back.

        “It’s not your village anymore. I took you from it, made you my apprentice, gave you a better life. Maybe a little too much leeway... Now, if you don’t do this, I’m sending Isamu in your stead.”

        Her golden eyes widened. Isamu was their most skilled assassin that her master had under his employ. Not just an average ninja, but a hardened, cold-blooded killer, able to go on a massacre without even being noticed, leaving no traces of himself behind. Rae disapproved greatly when her master, Shujin, hired him into the group. Isamu had no morals. It didn't matter who he killed, or how he did it. He didn't even care about age--slaughtering children came just as easy to him as breathing. 

        Rae didn’t trust him.

        “Well?”

        "Is that supposed to intimidate me? He's a qualified assassin, let the blood be on his hands!"

        "I'll be giving him grounds for complete freedom on the mission, if that's the case. Whatever he wishes to do to those people, so long as they end up dead, I don't give a damn."

        Rae grit her teeth, it was barbaric. Her mind churned with her hesitation and frustration. She didn't want to do this... But, at least if it was her, she could make everything go quickly. No one would suffer, the deaths would be painless. It still wasn't what they deserved, but it was a mercy compared to Isamu's methods. “Fine…”

        “Good. You have three hours to get ready for your journey. I want you on the road by sundown.”

“Yes... Master Shujin...”

        The elderly man then shooed the young red head from the room. She was escorted out by his guard, and when the doors shut behind her, she stormed off. Needing to get ready and prepare, though she would do so grudgingly, to attack and destroy a village…

        Her old village.

 

* * *

 

        In her room, she grabbed a small backpack. Filled it with the basics: Extra kunai, shurikens, an extra set of clothes, and water and food. It would be a seven day journey to her old home… the Hidden Sound Village. Heavens, she didn’t want to go back there. There were too many memories. Most of them bad.

        She slapped herself.

        “Snap out of it!” She yelled, then sighed, she was becoming too soft. Maybe this was something she needed to do, to harden herself. She wan't the little girl from her old life. She was a killer all her own. And she had been too young when Shujin had taken her to really be sure that her life was good before this. He always said he had rescued her. There was no reason to doubt that. Life here was good. And, despite her reservations sometimes, she was good at what she did. She was good at being a killer. 

        Rae shook her head, she was barely twenty, she was still young. As every elder had said to her at some point, she would understand her place in the world as she got older. Everything would become clearer with age. She believed that. 

        Her resolve strengthened, she walked into the sacred room of the temple that served as her new home.

        The group of ninja that she was a part of was known as the Priests, a branch from the rest of the group that Shujin employed. They were only ever seen as a religious group ranging in age from infants to the elderly. A perfect cover for the truth. Though, the ones who were considered young adults, Rae being in that category, were the ones who carried out the dastardly missions. The elderly were their council, who gave out missions or who approved of new recruits. The infants and children were the ones being raised, apprenticed, as new assassins that would take over once they became of age and the older became too old to take handle the field jobs themselves anymore. It just showed that the elders had everything in balance. If one thing was out of place their entire operation could crumble. Rae didn't want that to happen. This was her home, she grew up here. she learned everything she knew here. 

        She didn’t want that to go away.

        Rae knelt before a large wooden symbol that hung in front of her, towering over a dark alter. To any onlooker she was simply praying to her god, but the truth went a little deeper. There was a hidden floor door beneath her. It held all of the Priest's weapons. And when she was sure no one was looking, she opened the hatch and grabbed her sword, a few knives, and some explosives. Then placed them carefully into her pack. The sword, she slung over her shoulder, using a thin rope that she tied around the scabbard as a sort of strap--she kept the blade well hidden on her back, beneath her cloak. Then, shutting the small door and locking it, she stood and uttered a silent prayer, kissing the side of her index finger and then pressing it to her forehead in the way she had been taught. _‘Better to play out the part’,_ she told herself. In case there were anyone hidden in the shadows that she had missed. 

        Rae turned and exited the room, her cloak flowing behind her as she did so. While short, her prayer had been genuine. She wished that the village wouldn't see her coming. A mass panic would make the job more difficult, and her quick executions would turn into a slaughter, as she couldn't let anyone escape. The streets would run red and the screams would be deafening. 

        She didn't want that.


	2. Obeying

        It was midnight from what Rae could tell. The full moon looming overhead like a dim light bulb. She stared at her old village from her perch in the trees on a hillside that overlooked it all. Her old home wasn’t actually the village itself but a tiny town that was located just outside of it, though no one ever knew about it, or they just forgot about it, so she just referred to the whole Sound village as her home. It made everything less complicated that way.

        Rae jumped out of the tree and snaked her way down the hillside, using the uneven patters of shadows thrown by the forest and shrubbery on the ground as her cover. She felt this job was too easy. But that was good, it meant someone had heard her prayer; no one knew she was here.  Still, she remembered what Shujin had always said to her,  _‘Be prepared for the worst so when things turn sour you’re ready for it’_. She wouldn't let her guard down.

        It never hurt to be a little precautions.

        Rae walked past the front gates of the town and over to a small barn. There was only a lone horse inside. She stared at it for a moment and almost felt sorry that she was about to kill it along with countless other innocent people. _‘Snap. Out. Of. It!’_ She scolded herself again. She pulled a matchbox from her pocket and opened it. It would only take one, this village--the whole village--had buildings that were mainly made of timber. It wouldn’t take long for this place to catch fire.

        She ran the match head against the sand like paper on the side of the box, a small spark set the it alight. She then threw it into one of the haystacks. Immediately the fire started eating away at the dry substance, the flames licking hungrily. The horse whinnies as she began walking away, panicking at the sudden danger that now flared before the helpless creature. Rae looked back and saw the pleading look in its eyes and her heart felt torn. She cursed herself, she was becoming too sentimental. Although Shujin said nothing about having to kill the animals in the village--just the people. So Rae moved quickly back to the horse, setting it free and leading it outside. A thought of having a quick escape came to her and she saddled the beast quickly, throwing the seat onto the animal's back and pulling the straps tight across its belly. The fire would not go unnoticed for long, she reminded herself. She heard cries of alarm coming from different locations among the small town. The barn was now completely enveloped in the hungry flames and un-savable, the tongues of the flames already eagerly stretching for the next building and catching it too on fire. Rae sprung to action, swinging easily onto her new steed and pulling her sword free from behind her. 

        She urged the horse into a run, lighting the remainder of the matches in her box and throwing them at another house as she passed it by. She tossed a flame at each building until she neared the top of the hill once again. Looking back at the ablaze village, she nodded in approval. That took care of the structures.

        Rae then walked the horse into a small concealed part of the forest and tethered it to a tree before gripping her sword in her hand tightly and making her way back down into the screaming. 

        "It'll be over soon," she promised, whispering to the ears that would never hear her. 

        Stealthily, Rae wove her way into the chaos. She picked off the easiest first--the ones that were alone, everyone else too preoccupied to help them in trying to put out untamable fires. The fell swiftly before her blade, silently. None saw her coming as she killed from behind. No screams rang out to cry  _'assassin'_ , and no one paid the bodies she left behind any heed. The village was in chaos, no one had any time to figure out if it was the fires that killed the dead. Their homes, their possessions, their  _loved ones_  took up their thoughts. Deal with the crisis now, figure out what happened later. 

        Eventually, Rae had to move further in, towards the huddled group that scrambled about together. This time, they did see her coming, but none escaped. She cut down the helpless people with a cold expression. In her mind, she felt sick. Why did it have to be  _this_  village. Why  _her_  village. Why  _these_  people. It didn't make sense. But then again, it wasn't her job to questions Shujin's decisions. His orders were final and absolute. 

        Rae killed adult and child alike, men and women both, and the elderly. No one escaped, no one would be allowed to live. Her stomach turned as the resistance of each cut from her sword that met flesh sent a sickening reverberation up her arm. Even after the killing was over, she still felt the weight of her sword hitting those bodies. Still felt herself slicing away their lives. 

        These people had done nothing wrong. They were a peaceful village.

        Now they were dead.

        All because of  _her_.

        Rae sullenly made her way back to the tethered horse, she had to report that the mission was a success.


	3. Apprentice

        Rae knelt before the council. It would be disrespectful not to. They were the head of the Priests, the leaders, and they were to be respected above all others. They signaled for her to come to her feet, so she did.

        “Did you do as I asked, Rae? Is your mission complete? The village and its inhabitants destroyed?” Shujin asked from across the room, in the second in command chair.

        “I did. The village had been burned to the ground, its people cut down by my hand,” She replied, her heart heavy.

        The entire council nodded in approval.

        “Good. Very good, Rae.” The head of the council said. His name was Yasuo, though no one was supposed to know his true name so Rae made sure to keep her knowledge of it a secret. Everyone, even the other members of the council, were to refer to him and the _Judge_.

        The meeting continued, the elders talking for several more minutes about menial tasks that Rae was to perform next. Mainly, the supervision of a young and new recruit. She was taken from her village, not three months ago, and Rae needed to oversee her training for the next week. _'Taken... Just as I was taken...'_  she mulled. She loathed the idea, feeling she had more important things to do and there were better ways to spend her time. But if the council was assigning her the task then there was no rejecting the assignment. 

        Rae walked into the sacred part of the temple, once again. The Judge instructed her that the girl would be waiting for her there. He had placed a task of converting on her. She was to pray for three hours and then assume immediate training afterwards. Those three hours were about up.

        The red head walked through the large doors to see the little girl kneeling before the symbol hanging on the far wall. Deep in her prayer, a small cloak shadowed her figure and the cowl concealed her face. Though Rae knew she was no older than seven, as had been explained to her by the council.

        Five minutes passed before the girl stood up. She turned to see Rae directly behind her a few paces back. There was fear in her eyes. Rae had heard from master Shujin that she was still weary of the Priests--with good reason--and held a close fear of our organization. 

        “You must be Ahmi.” Rae said.

        The young girl nodded hesitantly, silent.

        “Speak girl, it’s impolite to stay quiet when someone talks to you.”

        “Y-yes. M-my name is Ahmi…” She said in a faint, unsure voice.

        This time the red head nodded. “Well are you prepared for your training?”

        Ahmi started to bob her head up and down in that shy way but stopped and remembered what Rae had just told her. “Yes.” She said, this time she sounded more confident.

        The red head gave her a questioning look before walking with Ahmi outside. The use of weapons in a sacred place would surely damn one to hell, but once in the open, free space of the outside... Rae immediately threw three shuriken at Ahmi out of thin air. At least that’s what it looked like to the girl. But Ahmi was nimble and dodged them easily and swiftly.  _‘Good girl,’_  Rae though.

        Rae trained her with several different weapons. By the time they were finished for the day the young girl was out of breath; Rae didn't even break a sweat. Not that the red head didn't give the girl credit for her abilities, but she had more practice. She expected her to be like this. No new trainee did things flawlessly right off the bat. That would be expecting too much of these children. And one would only be rewarded with disappointment.

        Ahmi however, was advanced in her skills. More than a child should be. Rae made a mental note of this and pushed it to the back of her mind. She would question her master about it later. Right now--after telling Ahmi she could rest for the day--Rae was on her way to the joining room, a place where new recruits received the mark of the Priest. The symbol of their order, burned onto the back of their neck. Rae had one too and she could say from experience that it hurt like hell.

        A long, thin metal rod--with the Order's symbol twisting the far end of it, was placed in the fire, heating the metal until it glowed white hot. Then the cross was pressed onto the back of a child’s neck until it left the mark of their organization there. Ahmi already had hers and so did most of the other kids. But there were two newer recruits that came in just yesterday.

 

        And Rae was required to be there for every child’s joining.


	4. Joining

        Two children stood in rows in front of their masters. One was a boy named Arrick and the other a boy named Toru. They were each around the age of ten. It was not unheard of, but it was unlikely that we would take on recruits any older than seven. These two must have done something noticeable that got the Judge’s attention. Not that Rae cared, she was only a spectator on the sidelines watching their joining. A witness to make sure that the branding went as planned.

        Or so she thought.

        The Judge--Yasuo--was present in the room when the red head arrived and he asked Rae to be the one to do their joining. Rae sighed audibly as she walked over to the fire, the metal rod sitting on a marble table just to the side of the pit. She placed it carefully in the fire and waited a few minutes before taking it out, though putting on gloves first so as to not burn her hands. Arrick was told to kneel and Rae walked over to him from behind.

 

        “Arrick, do you accept the terms of becoming a Priest? To obey your master and the council as they have their rights over you? And you accept that what they do is to protect you and not to harm you?” I asked.

        “I accept.” Arrick pledged, reluctantly.

        The children knew their choices--if they could even be called that. One either accepted the mark, or they were killed on the spot. The Priests suffered no one who refused to pledge their loyalty, killing them swiftly to prevent knowledge of the Order from getting out. They were humble, religious folk to the outside world. It would be a horrendous oversight to let any slip ups escape to spread word of their true mercenary ways. 

        Rae placed the heated metal on the young boy's neck and pressed it in. Surprisingly, Arrick only grunted through clenched teeth as he tried not to scream. Rae was impressed with his restraint. After a couple seconds, she pulled the metal away and looked at the burn mark of Arrick’s neck. Satisfied, she told him to stand. She handed him his cloak and a set of his own prayer beads. Whether or not he wanted the beads, he would soon learn that they came in handy quite often.

        Rae then moved to place the metal back in the fire to heat it up. Once it was glowing again, intimidatingly white hot, she walked over towards Toru.

        “Toru, do you accept the terms of becoming a Priest? To obey your master and the council as they have their rights over you? And do you accept that what they do is for your best interest and is not to harm you but protect you?”

        He hesitated a moment before replying, “I... accept…”

        Rae then placed the twisted metal on the back of his neck. He let out a startled cry as the metal seared his flesh, leaving what would become a permanent scar. The red head pulled the metal away seconds later and inspected the mark. Then nodded briefly in satisfaction. Toru rubbed his neck but winced in pain as he grabbed a little to roughly at the freshly sensitive skin.

        “I’d be gentle on your neck for a while.” Rae said kindly.

        He looked back at Rae and his eyes pleaded for acceptance. There was no going back for him now. She then handed him his cloak and set of his own prayer beads. He said his thanks before Arrick and he then walked into the middle of the room and faced half the council that was now present, the Joining complete. They were given a few more last words before turned away with their masters.

        “Rae, come here a minute.” The Judge said.

         She walked over to the middle of the room and faced the council. “Yes?”

        The Judge gestured for master Shujin to continue where he left off.

        “Rae, we have another important mission for you once your week with Ahmi is up.” He said.

        She gave a questioning look, “Another mission?”

        “Yes. We need you to go to Konohagakure and acquire information about the Hokage there. Some of our informants have told us that there is a new person in control and so we need you to check it out. Learn as much as you can. And then report back here.”

        “Why can’t you make the informants do it?”

        “They’re not discreet. We can’t have people knowing what we're doing there. Our average spies know next to nothing about true stealth. They’re all still learning. You’ve been with us the longest, and so we need you to do this.”

        Rae pondered what he said before nodding alowly. “As you wish.”

        The council nodded back to her and then she was permitted to leave. She walked to her room that was on the eastern side of the Temple. There she could at least think things over in her head. A lot had happened today. She couldn’t say how long she sat there on her bed, but when she looked out her window, she saw the darkness that was barely penetrated by the moon. Rae sighed as she got ready for bed. Then, as she lay down and shut my eyes, she let her mind fall blank. Rae didn’t need to think about anything else for the moment. All she had to do for the rest of the week was help Ahmi with her training. Then she would be gone for who knows how long.

        Konohagakure was quite a journey.


	5. Departure

        For the next week, Rae drilled Ahmi to perfection. She hadn’t mastered everything that she had taught her--it was near impossible for her to do so in only a week--but she had definitely improved a great deal. The rest would be up to the young girl to practice, or to whoever would be training her in Rae's stead. Ahmi could roughly shoot the center of a target with the bow and arrows that had been given to her, and with the shuriken and kunai, she hit the dead center of the target perfectly.

        Rae had previously asked her master about the young girl's skills. He told her that Ahmi was from a village where they drilled becoming ninjas into every child once they became of age no matter who they were. Everyone was required to become a ninja there. Rae was surprised with this piece of news. Seeing as how the group of Priests sent to go destroy that village had reported that there was little offenders that tried to protect the village. But she shrugged, it wasn’t important. Her position in the Order didn't require her to think about the bigger picture. She was a tool. The council was the hand that used her.

 

        The week was up, and Rae needed to be on her way to Konohagakure. So after the last day she had with Ahmi was over, Rae told her that she was leaving and she was going to be assigned to a new master for the time being. It was temporary of course. The council had declared about a couple days ago that Rae was to take on Ahmi permanently, seeing as how they worked well together and Ahmi was comfortable with Rae. 

        Ahmi was reluctant to let her new master leave when Rae told her that she had a mission and would be gone for some time, having grown attached in the short period they had spent together. Rae pretended not to notice. It wouldn’t be right for her to become close to another person. That had proved to be a terrible mistake in the past. Not to make Ahmi an unimportant, expendable individual, but she couldn't see the young girl as anything more than her apprentice. She was to train Ahmi and that was all.

        Rae packed provisions for her journey. It was at least a week’s trip to Konohagakure. But that was at the _least_ , without stops without breaks and running most of the way--or securing a ride to take her there. And with the occasional, required stops she knew she would be making, it would probably add a day or two to that time. She didn’t have time to dally.

 

* * *

 

        There were no good-byes that were said when Rae left. Once packed, she told her master, Shujin, that she was leaving to Konohagakure and he merely nodded and then shooed her away, telling her to get going. Luckily, however, Rae had also taken the horse that she snuck out of her old village. She had grown very fond of the animal. And after determining that the creature was male, she decided to name him _Jun_ due to his obedience.

 

        Rae had been riding in the saddle for almost seven hours now and she felt her backside going numb. While she appreciated the advantage her horse gave her, she also wasn't accustomed to traveling this way. So, after thinking it over, Rae decided that she would walk for an while, stretch her legs before getting back in the saddle.

        Swinging easily out of the saddle, Rae loosened Jun's saddle girth so that the horse didn’t have to be uncomfortable in the time she wouldn’t be riding him. Then she grabbed Jun’s reins and led him along. He following along happily next to her and kept pace.

 

        Several hours later, Rae's feet had began to ache. She almost contemplated riding Jun for a while but figured that it was late, the sun almost enveloped by the horizon, so now would be the best time to look for a suitable campsite. It would do them no good to be wandering in the dark.

        About a hundred meters further up was a small clearing, set a bit a ways off the main road, that would suit their needs. Rae made her way towards it. Once in the clearing, she looked back and saw that while she could see the road, the overgrowth would also keep them sheltered from anyone passing by. _‘Good,'_ she thought. It would keep them shrouded from unfriendly eyes.

        Rae set up a small, one-man tent and then ate some of the cold rations that she brought with her. Day old break and dried fruit, washed down with water that tasted leathery from the skin it had sat in all day. She also fed Jun some oats that she had brought along and gave him some water of his own. Though, she did this after she unsaddled him and put the saddle off to the side. He shouldn’t have to sleep with that on. He whinnied in appreciation to her gesture and care. Rae simply smiled at him.

        “You’re a good boy,” she said, gently rubbing his neck. She had never cared for an animal before but she had seen the others take care of horses, and something about caring for Jun just felt right to her.

        He tossed his head and nickered. For a moment Rae contemplated if he understood what she said and this was his way of replying. She shrugged, with a smile, and assumed this was true. Horses were smart creatures. Even if he couldn't talk to her, it wasn't so absurd that he knew what she was saying

        Rae then settled as comfortably as she could on the cold, hard ground of her small tent, wrapping her cloak around her as she did so. She shut her eyes, feeling the weight of the day finally settle on her now that she wasn't moving, and soon fell into a dreamless sleep. Though, she may have been a tired, but Rae still felt too alert to really let herself relax and truly fall asleep. She was even awake enough to barely hear Jun settling himself into a comfortable sleeping position near the tent.

 

        Not even an hour later, Rae startled awake. Her senses alert to something nearby.


	6. Betrayal

        Rae didn’t move from her position. Whatever was out there obviously wouldn’t know that she was awake and alert. Instead she rolled over on to her other side, continuing to make it seem as if she was still sleeping and was only stirring in that sleep. While at first the noise hesitated, it then got closer. It sounded like footsteps. Whoever they were, they were terrible at a quiet approach. The twigs and leaves that snapped and crunched under their feet was loud enough in Rae's mind to wake the dead.

        She slid a dagger from her belt stealthily, without making any sudden movement. Then, without warning, she leaped to her feet and tackled the person to the ground, just as they were close enough for her to seen them in the open flap of her small tent. She held her dagger at their throat. “Who are you?!” She demanded an answer. If only it weren’t so dark, she could see their face better.

“Don’t kill me!” The person pleaded. The tone of their voice and the deepness of it told her this was a man.

        "Tell me who you are!” The red head pressed her dagger a little closer and glared at the person under her, even though she was sure they wouldn't be able to see her expression.

“Alright, alright! But please don’t kill me, master Rae…” That certainly caught her attention. “…t-the council... they sent me after you. They wanted you disposed of...”

        The note of fear and cowardice in the man’s voice told Rae that he wasn’t lying. He was telling the truth. She had gotten very good at discerning deception from honesty a long time ago. But why would the council want her dead? She had done nothing wrong, only ever done everything they asked of her. She never disobeyed an order and was always told that she was their most valuable asset.

        Rae pulled away from the man, standing up and backing away, but she kept her weapon aimed at him. “Why?” His hesitation led her to think he didn’t understand her question. So she elaborated. “Why would the council do this? I’ve been nothing but loyal to them ever since I joined their organization.”

“T-they……” He stopped, clearly nervous. Rae was becoming more and more frustrated.

        “Tell me now or I will slay you where you are.”

“The council… T-they said… you’ve become a liability. A danger to what they are. They know you stole that horse from the village you were ordered to destroy, and that you kept it a secret from everyone. They're worried that if you're starting to hold secrets and go against their orders, even a little bit, that it'll become a bigger problem later."

"It was just a horse!" Rae was startled at the harshness of this, over something so simple. "I wasn't ordered to kill a horse!"

        "But you were ordered to destroy the village and everything within it. Person or animal alike that you came across. That... That mission was a test of your obedience. By bringing that creature back, you went against orders... I was told to go after you and kill you before you had the chance to come back. I... I denied at first, but they hurt my sister. I had no choice!” There was agony in his voice.

        Rae put her dagger back into its sheath in her belt and walked closer to the man laying her hands on his shoulder. “I have a different solution to your situation.”

        He didn't believe her. She could tell by the stiffness in his posture. Skeptically, he answered, “What might that be?”

        “Go back to the council, tell them you killed me. I’ll never return and instead I can hide away in a village somewhere else. They won’t know the truth. They never will. I’m good at keeping secrets.” Then a smile tugged at her lips, "At least, I'm good at keeping them when a large animal isn't involved."

  He ignored the joke, “But what if they do find you? I’d be sticking my neck out for you and if they ever found out that I lied to them… they would kill me! My sister included! I…I can’t…”

        My grip on his shoulders tightened. “What’s your name?”

“Yehvon," he answered slowly, unsure if it was okay for him to answer such a question.

        “Yehvon. I know you.”

        He nodded his head, Rae faintly saw the movement in the night, “We used to train together when we were younger.”

        The red head sighed, thinking over past memories with a smile. “Right... As I recall we got into a lot of trouble, too.”

        He chuckled. “That we did…”

        Then her face went blank and she became serious once again. “Then tell me, Yehvon: in all the times you’ve known me, have I ever lied or broken a promise?”

        He shook his head almost immediately. “Never. You’re an honest, trustworthy friend, Rae.”

        “Then trust me now with this.”

        She felt, rather than saw, the conflicting emotions going through Yehvon’s head. It was a tough decision and she knew it. He either killed her and lived peacefully for a time, or he risked trusting her and let her live. If he chose the latter of the two then she would make it her personal business to never be caught by the council. And if she risked being caught she would just throw herself onto her blade. She wasn’t going to let Yehvon and his sister be killed. Not for anything. Not because of her. Whatever the council had against Rae wasn’t worth a friend’s death.

“Alright, Rae, get out of here. But just know if I run into you again, I won’t hold back from killing you. And I'll be better at it next time. No slip ups. I'll make sure you won't know I'm coming. I can't give you this chance twice...”

        She sighed silently in relief. “Thank you, Yehvon.”

        “I’ll give you an hour before I go back and tell the council. I want you gone by then.”

        “I understand.”

        He then turned and left. Leaving the red head to the small task of saddling her horse, rolling up her tent, and being on her way.


	7. Konohagakure

        Konohagakure loomed in the distance, merely a grey and green fog in her eyes with how tired she felt. She had been traveling for two weeks at the least and hadn’t gotten much sleep with having to be constantly alert for bandits or assassins, and especially to make sure the council wasn't anywhere near her or on her heels. Every shadow felt like a threat. It was eating at her sanity.  _'Perhaps,_ _'_ she thought, _'I should completely change myself. My name... my complete identity...'_

She had no idea where she would go to start over. She had never even thought that this was something she would have to do. It was all overwhelming. But she had already been on her way to Konoha, it seemed a good place to start. And if the Hidden Leaf Village didn't work out, she would find somewhere else. Even if it meant living in the middle of no where, alone...

        It was dawn, and the rain that had poured down on Jun and her last night did nothing to help the sullen mood she felt looming over her. She only just stopped shivering an hour ago as the cold receded from her cloak and was replaced with the warmth that her body gave off. It was true bliss after the hours of icy teeth chewing at her skin.

        She tethered Jun to a tree about two hundred meters back away from the village and a ways in the forest so that he would be hidden for the time being. As she walked up to the gates, they seemed a pale yellow in the dim, morning light. Almost appearing majestic. She stared at them until she fully passed through, receiving no trouble from the guard up front, and then focused her gaze on the road in front of her.

        She found a tavern at the edge of the market. _‘A warm drink would do me some good’_ she thought. She walked inside the front doors and took a seat at the bar. A man came up to her from the opposite side, behind the counter, a mug in hand and a cloth in the other as he scrubbed the tankard clean.

        “What can I get you, miss?” He asked me, friendly and inviting. It was a nice change of atmosphere

        “A cup of coffee," she replied after thinking it over.

        “You sure? We got some much better drinks here. You’ve got pretty much as many choices as you could think of!”

        “I don’t drink.”

        He shrugged and moved away to get her a cup of black coffee. A minute later he returned with a steaming mug of the delicious aromatic dark liquid. Her mouth watered as she took in the sweet scent of it. She sipped it slowly and appreciatively. Unaware of the man next to her, staring at her through the corners of his eyes, or so he thought.

        Rae finished the cup and then said casually “It’s impolite to stare at someone you know?”

        He seemed almost startled when she turned her head to look at him but it was hard to tell. His ninja headband was covering one of his eyes and he had a mask covering half his face from the nose down. Then there was his silver colored hair that spiked in different directions. Rae's first impression was he was mysterious.

        He seemed to recover from his shock in seconds and then she could make out a faint smile, only an impression against the fabric of his mask. “Sorry, it’s just you don’t look like you’re from around here.” He said.

        “Understandable," She replied. Then she thought over her idea from earlier. It would be good to start fresh with a new name. If anything, it would help keep her hidden from the Priests. Maybe she could go by her real name instead? The name Rae was merely what she had told Shujin when he had taken her in all those years ago and asked what to call her. It was felt silly to think about it now, but she had always felt, as a child, that if she had given the Priests her real name, then she would lose herself completely. They killed her family, her whole village, made her relive it by ordering her to do the same thing. Despite her unquestionable loyalty all these years, in her heart she still hated them. Hated herself for not fighting against them more. But keeping her name had always brought her a small sense of comfort. They had captured a shadow of her, all the while she kept her real self hidden away from their greedy fingers. "My name is Seiri by the way,” she added, holding out a hand to him.

        “Kakashi Hatake,” he replied, shaking her hand.

        “Do you know of an inn anywhere? I'll probably just be staying for the night but I could really use a good night's rest for once.”

        “Not that I know of, all the spare homes or apartments are taken up. But I could take you to the Hokage and you could discuss it with her.”

        “Perfect.”

        The silver haired man then stood up and Seiri followed suit, placing some yen on the bar top before both leaving together in the direction of the Hokage mansion. It was a large building but nowhere near the size of the Temple which the red head was so used to. In fact, the Hokage mansion was dwarfed by the size of the Temple she used to live in.

        A woman Kakashi called Shizune waved them into the Hokage’s room when he asked for an audience with her. He held the door open for Seiri and she stepped through, him right behind her. The Hokage looked up and smiled.

        “Kakashi, nice to see you. Who’s this you brought with you?”


	8. A Place for the Night

        “Lady Tsunade, this is Seiri,” Kakashi answered easily, completely comfortable in the presence of the Hokage. The red head silently wondered if they were friends.

        “Well it’s nice to meet you, Seiri. So how can I help the two of you?” 

        Taking the initiative, Seiri stepped forward, “I need a place to stay for the night. Just so I can get some rest and then I figure out where I'm going from there.” 

        Her face twisted into that of confusion. “What do you mean? Do you not know where you're headed?”

        “It's... kinda complicated. Nothing that would endanger your village though, I promise.”

        “Who are you running from?”

        My face was blank, void of all emotion. I gave away no hints that I was lying when I said this. “Not so much running, I’m visiting a friend who lives a little further past your village. I’ve just been traveling a long time and I need to rest up before I head off.”

        “Oh well I’m afraid we don’t have any open spaces… hmm…”

        “She could stay with me if it’s only for the night.”

        Seiri's turned her gaze towards Kakashi. He was putting her in a dangerous position. As a Priest, she was forbidden to put herself in situations of temptation. And as her feelings kept telling her, there was some subtle hints at attraction towards Kakashi. He was cute and seemed very collected and rational. Unlike so many others she had known. But to stay even a night with him could be complicated. She didn’t want to compromise her honor. Whether or not the council approved, she was a Priest. She always would be. It was the only life she knew, even if those of her same kind were rejecting her.

        Loyal, to a fault...

        The red head's hopes were dashed as the Hokage said she agreed so long as Seiri didn’t mind. She hesitantly said she didn’t, not wanting to appear rude or ungrateful. And the thought of being out on the road again just because she was too skeptical to accept someone’s offer just seemed like such foolish reasoning. Her honor depended on her control over herself. Something she was a master at. As long as her head was clear, there would be no issues. 

        Though, before she went to Kakashi’s house, she ran back to Konohagakure’s outskirts to get Jun. Now that Seiri had a place to stay, he didn’t need to stay out here all alone anymore. Kakashi asked about the horse but she only gave him the briefest of answers. He was her horse, the only one who really seemed to understand her in this crazy world. And she had only left him out here because she had been unsure if it was alright to take him into the village. Then Seiri took Jun to a stable, at the suggestion of the silver haired man, where she paid the young boy who worked there to take care of Jun.

 

* * *

 

        Kakashi’s house was immaculate.  The cleanest Seiri had ever seen. She had to admit she was impressed.

        He had offered to let her use his room but she told him that was unnecessary and she didn't mind sleeping on the couch. It was his home, after all, and her staying there had been so sudden and unplanned. She didn't want to impose. Plus, she wasn’t going to be here that long and she didn’t want to steal his comforts from him. He merely shrugged when I told him that. He didn’t press the matter any further either. And when it got late, he even cooked dinner against all her protests to let her help him, though he never did. While kind, it all made her feel a bit useless. So she simply occupied herself by fixing a few holes in the bottom of her cloak, using a small box full of needles and thread that she had brought along with her.

        Dinner was soon finished and the duo sat at the table together, Kakashi serving the meal he had prepared. They ate in relative silence, but it was a comfortable one. It wasn’t awkward for Seiri in any way. She was used to this type of stuff. But she didn’t know how Kakashi felt. So she decided to start up a conversation.

        “Thank you Kakashi, for everything you’ve done for me," she said.

        “It was no trouble, don’t worry about it” he replied, nonchalantly.

        “It’s really a great kindness, especially when you don't know me at all.”

        He waved his hand, dismissing what she said. “It was no trouble. I was glad to help out. But I do have a question for you.”

        Seiri looked at him curiously. “Yes?”

        “Who are you really? I’ve never seen anyone dress like you do. And you seem to have an air of confidence and calculation about you…” he trailed off, not wanting to give away too much of his thoughts on her.

        She took a deep breath. Should she tell him? It wouldn’t hurt. A lot of people knew of her organization. But that was at the village around the Temple. Perhaps rumors could have even reached here too? Maybe?

        “I’m… a Priest” she started. Kakashi went to take a breath to speak so she quickly intercepted him, “We’re not monks so please don’t confuse the two. But as a Priest, I learned to logically think through a situation and deal with it accordingly. As well as the basic rules of my order to preach of the deity we follow, as any religious folk would do. But we don’t just pray over people and offer council. We’re healers, as well as warriors…” She trailed off. It would be unwise to speak her next thought.

        She looked up at him and left the sentence hang there in the air. For a moment she thought he was going to ask her to explain further, but he didn’t. He only nodded and smiled. “That does explain quite a bit. We’ve heard little of your organization. But some information has come through Konoha about the Priests.”

        “You know of us?”

        “Like I said, only a little. People are very tight lipped about your organization for some reason.”

        “They shouldn’t have to be…” Seiri said, thinking over everything her Order did, all the pain they caused. She didn’t agree with most of it. They were supposed to be divinely chosen, but all the heinous acts the Priests carried out disgraced that, in Seiri's opinion.

        “Why’s that?”

        She snapped out of her trance when he said that.  “Oh… nothing. Forget I said anything.”

        “Alright. But it’s late. I’ll clean up the dishes before I go to bed.”

        “I’ll help-“

        “No need, I got it.”

        “You’re so stubborn.”

        “I know.” He was smirking as he took the dishes away into the kitchen.


	9. Leaving

        Seiri slept sound that night on Kakashi’s couch. It was pretty much bliss compared to sleeping out in the cold, on the hard ground of the forest floor. She woke up early too, and from what she could tell, she had woken up before Kakashi. Then, she decided that since he hadn’t let her help at all last night with anything, she would make breakfast for him this morning. So grabbing her cloak, pulling on her shoes, and strapping her coin pouch to her belt, she left for the market.

        She bought quite a few items before she returned to Kakashi's house. All in the span of about half an hour. After kicking her shoes off by the doorway and setting everything on the counter, she removed her cloak, draping it over the back of the couch, then set to cooking the ingredients and mixing in odd spices here and there along with a special spice she made myself. Seiri cooked eggs, bacon, toast, sausage, and then even made fresh orange juice from some oranges she had bought while in the market. As everything cooked, she generously sprinkled in the spices. Her mouth watered at the aromas that filled the home. It had been a bit expensive, but she found the price worth it, especially when she had been shown such great hospitality.

        As she was nearly done preparing breakfast, Seiri heard a crash coming from Kakashi’s room before a voice rang through the house swearing. She giggled to herself softly. Then a few moments later, his door opened and a groggy, silver haired mess emerged into the hallway behind her.

        “You don't have to do that, you know,” Kakashi said, rubbing his head.

        “You wouldn’t let me help at all last night so I figured I would make breakfast this morning,” She replied.

        “Well, it does smell good.”

        “Thank you,” she hummed appreciatively, though focusing on finishing cooking the last few items, “What was that crash, if it's alright to ask?”

        Kakashi groaned as he took a seat on a stool at his island counter. “I fell out of bed. And in an attempt to save myself, I grabbed my desk chair but if fell on me instead.”

        Seiri held in from laughing but said nothing, it was the best she could do. He didn’t seem to notice that she was holding it in either, much to her delight. To him she probably just looked as if her expression was blank, or almost compassionate. But not too much.

        Breakfast was ready not minutes after that. Seiri made Kakashi a plate stacked with the food, then made one for herself. It was quiet yet again, but every now and then she would hear Kakashi mumbling about how delicious the food was. She couldn't help the smile that spread across her face.

 

* * *

 

        Seiri swung her cloak over her shoulders and tied it around her neck, then pulled her boots on. It was past noon and she needed to be going. She didn’t want to overstay her welcome. Standing up, she attached all her weapon holsters and slung her sword--string attached at both ends of the scabbard to work as a strap--over her shoulder, making sure it was beneath her cloak, only the sword hilt visible from behind her head. She began walking towards the door when she felt eyes on her back. She turned around to see Kakashi staring at her.

        “You’re leaving?” He asked.

        “I have to. And besides, I wouldn’t want to take advantage of your generosity,” Seirir replied with a faint smile.

        “Without even saying good-bye?”

        She rolled her golden eyes to the heavens. “Goodbye, Kakashi. Thank you for everything.” Then she became serious. She couldn't voice her next thoughts about telling Kakashi to be on guard for a while. If anyone had been tailing her then someone could have seen Kakashi helping her. But if she told him that, she would have to explain herself further and also explain why she lied to him. No, she didn’t want to do that.

        “You’re welcome here any time,” he said, pulling her out of deep thought.

        “That’s very kind of you, but unnecessary.”

        “The offer stands.”

        “I keep that in mind.”

        Seiri then turned towards the door once again and opened it and left. She picked up Jun from the stables and then saddled him before mounting and starting to ride off. She barely got that far from Konoha's gates before twenty of her old comrades appeared in front of her.

        Her only thought was of Yehvon's safety, and that of his sister.


	10. Unexpected Surprise

 

        The sun glared overhead, but its heat barely penetrated Seiri's cloak in the autumn cold. Though, her focus was not on the weather. She wanted to know how they had found her. Maybe they broke Yehvon, forced him to tell the truth. Highly unlikely though, Yehvon was very good at keeping secrets, and even better at selling lies. He could make falsities sound like the hard truth. No, this wasn’t because of Yehvon.

        “Hello, Rae.” That voice. It broke through all her mental barriers and stabbed her strait in the heart. She had hoped he wouldn’t be a part of this. She had hoped that… her Master, Shujin, wouldn’t care.

        Seiri said nothing, and stood completely emotionless. Master or no, she wasn’t going to be killed because of the council’s pathetic cowardice, or their lack of sound logic. They had absolutely no reason to fear her. She had been loyal all these years. But none of that mattered now. The orders had been handed out. She was dead to them.

        “That glare is no way to greet your master, Rae.” His voice was seeping with humor. She knew this to be his coping mechanism. He tried to make light of difficult situations so that it would cover for the nervousness he felt.

        “I have nothing to say to you, Master Shujin.” There was anger and displeasure in her voice, with good reason.

        He frowned but she saw the lie behind it. A startling realization. He wanted to be here. Despite his nervousness. Or, was that a feint too? Did she really know the man before her anymore? She thought she knew the council, and then they had turned on her... That only deepened Seiri's distress. He was her master, she had grown fond of him over the years since she'd been with the Priests. She looked up to him. Now she was forced to face him. There was only one way this would end…

        “I guess everything I am and was taught was for nothing. But that doesn’t mean I give up on my beliefs. I’m sorry I wasn’t good enough to be a Priest.”

        Seiri saw a brief flash of regret across Shujin's face. And… sadness? Was she wrong in her accusations? Then she saw something she didn’t want to see. Ahmi. But she was smiling. A smile that never reached her eyes.

        “Ahmi?”

        “I followed Yehvon when he was sent after you. But finding out that he was going to let you live was something I _had_ to report back to the council,” she said, completely unfazed by her own confession.

        “What?! What did you do with Yehvon!?”

        The young girl threw a sack at the red head. It dripped and smelled of death. Seiri swung off of Jun and shakily picked up the sack. She regretted opening it once she saw its contents. Inside was Yehvon’s head, and his expression was that of pure fear and shock. Seiri dropped the sack immediately, like it was a raging fire and she had burned her hands. She no longer cared about the organization in that moment. They were monsters. And more than anything, she felt sickened by the thought that she had caused Yehvon to lose his life. What was to become of his sister? _‘I’m so sorry Leandra,'_ Seiri thought, thinking of the poor girl who was no doubt grieving, who the council was no doubt telling that her brother was a traitor,  _'I’ll avenge his death. I swear it.’_

        Seiri drew her sword, and in her heart she felt anger swelling. Boiling to unimaginable heights. She was going to kill every one of these bastards. And as she looked over every face, she saw fear in all of them. Fire swirled around her like a tornado. It spun fiercely as her anger was released. She couldn’t take all the trickery anymore! She had believed Priests to be honorable people before she had joined them. But now she knew they were nothing but murderous swine, and no longer did she believe that any of them were redeemable. Her belief that there had to be goodness under the surface of it all died with Yehvon.

        “Rae, we can work something out. We didn’t come here to kill you.” She heard Shujin speak but she didn’t listen. She didn’t want to. Her fury had taken over completely.

        Seiri held her arms out to the side and a sword, purely made of fire, formed and dropped into one of her hands. The flames then consumed the metal of the real blade she held in her other hand, turning it into a twisting, intimidating blade of flame. The red head charged at the murderers in front of her then. Three were cut down easily, too startled to understand what was happening. Five more were the same. Nine more went down in minutes. Their blood decorating the scenery and glistening a bright dark red in the  evening sun. That left Shujin… and Ahmi.

        “Calm down, Rae!” Ahmi yelled at me, her young, girlish eyes pleading. She was afraid, for her life, for the uncertainty of it all.

        Seiri wasn’t listening. She wanted to kill her. Wanted to make her pay for so carelessly throwing Yehvon's head at her as if it had been a sack of apples. 

        She blocked several strokes of Seiri's swords and was grazed by a few others. Her shoulders and arms were scraped and the red head managed to cut a bad gash in her leg. The cuts were bad, but were always instantly cauterized, the flames sealing the wounds shut instantly. They would leave ugly scars. 

        Seiri felt Ahmi weakening with each movement she made to block the older girl's attacks. Then she faltered and Seiri stabbed right through her heart. Ahmi gasped, a moment of pure astonishment on her face, and then fell dead at Seiri's feet, sliding off one of the burning blades.

        Seiri's gaze then swerved to glare at her old master. He unconsciously took a few steps back away from her. His face clearly read that he wished he had taken the opportunity to run away while the red head had been distracted with the younger girl. Coward. She grinned cruelly as she charged towards him. Overhand cuts, sideways cuts, lunges. He barely dodged any of them. Cuts all over his body, now riddled with hideous, badly burned wounds. He cried in agony at each one she inflicted.

        He faltered, as Ahmi had, and Seiri took the opening to lop off his head in one last swing. His body stood for a couple seconds before slumping to the ground. No doubt as Yehvon's body had done. A fitting end.

        She breathed deeply, panting, as she came back to her senses. I was winded. The fire receded, one blade disappearing completely, the other returning to its plain, metal form. Seiri felt overwhelmed at the scene before her. She had vowed never to let her anger get a hold of her like this again. Bad things happened, even to people she cared for.

        Her gaze stayed on Ahmi, her small lifeless body mingled with those of the other dead around her. Seiri felt tears in her eyes. She didn’t want this. She never wanted this. Becoming a Priest only fed her anger! She could’ve run away a long time ago and prevented this!

        Then her heart sank further in her chest as a voice sounded from behind her.

        “Seiri…”


	11. Answers

        “Kakashi?!” The red head exclaimed, turning around to face that familiar head of silver. “What are you doing here?”

        “You forgot these.” He then walked closer to her and handed her the prayer beads she had forgotten. She hung my head in shame. Kakashi had just witnessed something she hadn’t wanted him to see.

        “K-Kakashi… I-I-I…” She stammered enough to where she just stopped talking. She dropped my head even further, her chin almost touching her chest, and dragged the beads from his fingers. They slipped easily away from him.

        He placed his hands on her shoulders and forced her to look up at him, lifting her chin with a finger. Seiri only stared into his eyes, or rather, the one onyx eye that she could see that wasn't covered by his headband, There was nothing she could say. What she had done was even too much for her to handle. Kakashi didn’t say anything either. He only wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tightly. He felt it was all he could do in the moment. He wouldn't get answers from her in such a state. And he did, in fact, need answers from her. She might have been well enough away from Konoha for others not to see, but he couldn't just let her walk away from this.

        For the moment, she let her arms hang limp. Seiri didn’t understand if Kakashi was doing this because he knew she was going through conflicting emotions or just because it was something to calm me down, or if it was to keep her from running away. Whatever the reason, it was appreciated with how much she needed it.

        Then she heard him speak the words she had dreaded him saying. “Do you mind telling me what this is all about? And... they called you Rae?”

        She took a deep breath and sighed as she pulled away from him. He deserved to know more than anyone, having been the one to take her in--a complete stranger--and he was the only person she was remotely well acquainted with outside of her Order. Her _old_  Order. But where would she begin?

        “I…" She thought back on everything, remembering all the parts of her past that had once been such fond memories, "When I was young, the Priests destroyed my village.  They took me in as an apprentice and I was assigned a master like every other child they took in as a recruit. I gave him a fake name. I wanted to hold on to mine, the only thing I had left.

        "A month later… I received the mark of their organization…” She pulled her red hair away from her neck and let Kakashi see the twisted mark that was burned on the back of her neck. “I thought that what they were having me do was good. I didn't ask questions, the council--our leaders--promised us that everything they had us do was for the better. I trusted that...

        "I was making helping make real changes, for the better, I thought… I was becoming stronger… I could avenge my clan… But the deeper I got into everything, the more complicated it all became." Seiri turned away and stared out into the forest,  "When I was a little older, I started training other kids, going on more dangerous missions… kill... killing people.

        "A couple months ago, I was sent on a mission to… destroy my old village. The one they had destroyed when I was a kid. I think too much time had past, I was in such a routine, too obedient for my own good and I complied… I killed innocent people, Kakashi. I murdered men, women, and children! The only thing I saved was Jun.” Seiri pointed to her horse who was grazing the nearby grass.

        “Then... I was told to train a girl named Ahmi… for a week. I did as I was told. Now... Now look at her! I-I just killed her… But she... she was the one who killed one of my only friends. She brought me his head!” Kakashi realized that must have been what the bloody sack was lying a little off to the side. Seiri was hysterical, tears streaming down her face, “After the week was up… I-I was told to go to Konohagakure, here, and gain intelligence on your new Hokage. The one you call Lady Tsunade. I barely got a day away from the Temple and I was already being tracked. Almost killed by that friend of mine... Yehvon… He let me live… I should have let him kill me…” Seiri walked a few paces away and picked up the sack from the ground. “…I cost him his life, Kakashi…" her voice was the quietest of whispers but he still heard her, "I ruined his sister’s…”

        “Seiri-“

        She held up a hand to forestall any question he had. “When Yehvon had found me while I was traveling, he told me that the council had suddenly found me disposable. I still don’t understand that. I’ve been nothing but loyal to them. But they... they were so ready, so willing... to just throw me away. They destroy the strong so no one will challenge them… I was content with my life. What they did was their mistake. But this…” I pointed to the gruesome scene around me, “This is mine…”

        Kakashi looked at Seiri with compassion in his eyes. Then he started walking towards her. “Seiri, you don’t have to worry about them anymore.”

        “But I--“ He placed a finger against her lips to shush her.

        “I’ll keep you safe.”

        He then started to lean in towards her, their faces now only inches apart. Rationally, Seiri knew it wasn't what it looked like, but the irrational part of her grew flustered, suspecting something more romantic. Of course that's not what it was. She backed away from him anyway, “I can’t Kakashi… I… I just can’t…” She spun around, face flushed, unable to look him in the eyes. 

        She felt his gaze on her back and she almost regretted pulling away. But she had morals and a code she still followed, whether the council saw that or not. She gave up, or rather was forced to give up, any chance at having love. Seiri wasn’t even sure she knew how to feel such a thing anymore. Then she felt a warm presence behind her and it sent shivers down her spine.

        “Just know that you don’t have to face your problems on your own.”

        “Kakashi… it’s sweet… that you want to help me, but you barely know me. I just met you yesterday.”

        “Then let me get to know you. I have a feeling you're not the monster you're pretending to be. You've had a troubled past. And this--" he looked around him, "--as bad as it looks, I have a feeling you did it because you had no choice. I was here for the whole thing, they provoked you. I saw your face when that girl threw that sack to you. Looking at the head of a dead friend... I heard their her confession. I can't imagine anyone would have any other reaction than exactly what you did.”

        Seiri couldn’t answer. She had no answer. Kakashi was the first person to ever be even remotely this kind to her and she was shoving it back in his face. Her shoulders slumped and then they racked with her sobs. Tears now flooding down her cheeks like a river. They glistened as they fell to the ground.

        She felt Kakashi’s arms wrap around her again and she buried her face into his chest this time, holding on to him like he was the only thing keeping her from drowning. Seiri's tears were soaking his jacket but he didn’t seem to care. He only held her tighter and told her everything would be alright. But it wasn’t alright. She was being hunted by the only people she knew as family.

        Except, they didn’t think quite so fondly of her anymore...


	12. Starting Over

        Kakashi talked Seiri into staying with him a bit longer, even though she protested that it would be better for her to leave. Eventually, she walked back with him to his house, giving Jun back to the stables and then placing all her stuff back on Kakashi’s couch. She told him that she should probably go explain things to the Hokage, especially with all the bodies she left that their scouts would no doubt see. She had wanted to give them a basic burial, not that they deserved it, but she couldn't bring herself to look at the carnage she had caused. Kakashi insisted he would take care of it for her, explain it all to Tsunade, and he wanted her to get some rest.

        Seiri, while feeling a little uneasy about letting someone else handle her problems, didn't complain. Her muscles ached and her body felt fatigued beyond anything she had felt before. She was exhausted from it all. Her mind also tormenting her about killing her master who she had loved like a father, and then a young girl who had almost been her apprentice.

 

* * *

 

        Kakashi returned almost two hours after he had left to go talk to the Hokage. He walked in the front door to find Seiri asleep. Though, it was fitful and she had fallen off the couch at some point and was now curled into a ball on the floor. Her teeth were clenched and her hands were shaking. Her dreams riddled with her actions, with the murders she had committed, twisting and churning into nightmares she couldn't escape.

        Kakashi picked Seiri up, cradling her in his arms, and walked into his room, setting her down on his bed and pulling the covers over her. He then left the room, after shutting the door, and walked to sit in an arm chair. His meeting with the Hokage went well, though Tsunade had questioned him relentlessly about every aspect of the situation. She even accepted the fact that Kakashi was having Seiri stay with him. Nodded the whole time, taking in the information. She accepted what had happened and sent word for ANBU to clean up the site. Though, she planned to have someone do a little digging into the Priests and their background.

        A few hours later, Seiri woke up. She found herself in Kakashi’s bed, soft and pillow topped so she sunk into it. She looked around curiously, wondering why she was in his room. She mentally shrugged but didn't move to get up, not wanting to remove herself from the comfort. She had nothing to do anyway. The only thing left for her was to make sure she stayed hidden. No doubt, after her recent murders, the Priests would believe she had moved on to a new place. Logically, it made sense. Why stay in the same place one committed a crime? Though the smart thing, in this case,  _was to stay_  in the area. And the Order was never very clever when it came to things like that. She would be safe, for now. But if she wanted to truly escape that organization, she would have to kill the Judge.

        Yasuo.

 _‘That should be easy,'_  she thought sarcastically. Then she heard the creak of Kakashi’s bedroom door as it opened. The silver haired ninja came through with a tray of food and looked at her, smiling. He set the tray on a nearby side table and then sat down on the edge of the bed.

        “How are you feeling?” He asked.

        “Awful, but better than before," Seiri replied honestly.

        “I'm glad." Silence followed, and Seiri could tell he wanted to say something more but the words never came.

        “Something on your mind?” she asked.

        “Actually, yes. The Hokage wants to know if you would like to join ranks with the ANBU. She thinks that you would have potential there and it would make use of your talents.” Then he tilted his head and looked to the side, hesitantly adding, "And it would allow her to keep an eye on you. She believes your story, but... it's good to be cautious when you don't know someone that well, right?"

        “ANBU?” Seiri questioned, disregarding his last statement. She wasn't offended by it, the words rang true. She would expect anyone to do the same in the Hokage's position.

        “They're our Black Ops. They take care of the more… delicate and difficult situations. Not unlike what you used to do already. Only we’re not heartless.”

        Kakashi eyes widened, realizing what he just said and knowing he couldn't take it back.

        Again, Seiri dismissed the hurtful--though obvious--statement. The Priests were heartless. However, she was more intrigued by something else he had said, “' _We’re'_? Are you apart of the ANBU, Kakashi?”

        He rubbed his neck sheepishly, “I used to be, but now I have to take care of a team. Full of three children who think they know everything…”

        “Don’t they always? Every kid I used to know when they first came into the organization to become Priests thought they knew everything. They were scared, mind you, but they had that rebellious glint in their eyes that you know is going to cause trouble for you later on.”

        “Ah, adolescence.”

        Seiri smiled as she sat up from her laying position. “But as for a position in the ANBU, I’d think I’d like to join. I bet they have better morals than the Priests, anyway. And... I think it would do me good to continue to be a part of something. I don't know any other kind of life.”

        “When it comes to morals, it always depends on who's leading. But, Lady Tsuande is a remarkable Hokage. A bit of a gambling problem, but she has a good heart..”

        “Good enough for me.”

        “I’ll go tell the Hokage then.” Kakashi got up and walked over to the door but then stopped. “Unless you’d want to come with me?”

        Seiri smiled and got out of bed. “Sure, why not?”

 

* * *

 

        In the Hokage’s office, they discussed the terms of Seiri becoming and ANBU. She was required to be ready for any unexpected mission call and also to be discreet while carrying out any tasks. The ANBU were more than just ninja, they were a stealthy, secretive group. People knew about them, but never to any full extent. Unless, someone had privileged access to such knowledge. 

        The red head agreed to everything Lady Tsunade stated, and was then given a mask and a headband with the Village Leaf symbol on it. Seiri thanked her for it before leaving and heading back to Kakashi’s house with the silver haired man himself. Though, that statement seemed a little humorous to her now, only because, at Kakashi's suggestion, she now had to think of his house at her home too.

        No longer just his, but also  _hers_.

        As they neared the building and memories stirred in Seiri's mind about the fight she had had not even twenty four hours ago, a thought came to her. A terrible thought. A horrible remembrance of something she shouldn't have forgotten. Her blood flushed from her body and she felt abnormally cold, her skin growing pale.

        She forgot completely about the assassin Isamu…


	13. Assassin

        Yasuo's anger flared as his reporter told him that everyone was killed by the master, Rae. He grabbed the nearest thing to himself, which was a small side table, and flung it across the room in his fury. It crashed into the wall, shattering, sending splinters of wood in all directions.

        “Can no one do a job right?!” He bellowed to himself. The young Priest that had brought him the information jumped in fright and then scuttled out of the room for safety. Yasuo didn't even notice them leaving, he didn't care. His anger was at a boiling point. He wanted Rae dead, now! But it seemed no one could even do that. This is what happened when he entrusted important tasks to those below him. Well, never again.

        The Judge paced the empty, wide open space of the the temple’s sanctuary, back and forth, his footsteps echoing off the stone floor and bouncing off the walls. He needed a plan. A new one. One that wouldn’t fail him like Shujin and even Ahmi had. Rae had been pushed into a murderous frenzy and he needed someone who was just as cold blooded as she was. Someone who wouldn't stand there and try talking like an idiot, delaying what needed to be done.

        “I hear you’re having a problem with a former member of your Priests.” The new voice that entered the room woke up something inside Yasuo. It gave him an idea. A dark, horrible idea. One he liked very, very much. The Judge turned around to face the speaker, an evil grin plastered to his face.

        “Isaru, you just who I need!” Yasuo exclaimed.

        “And... I would get _what_  out of helping you exactly?” The Assassin shot back smugly as he leaned against one of the walls, keeping himself within the shadows. 

        Yasuo hated this man’s stubbornness, and lack of respect. The Judge employed him directly but that was all that kept Isamu there. He only carried out orders with reward in mind--only to fulfill his greed. Yasuo reined in his anger and spoke calmly, giving no hint of his inner turmoil away, “I'm sure you remember Rae? The two of you have met a few times. Well, she's causing me more trouble than I anticipated. I need her dead, money is no object.”

        “Yeah, I know who she is. I want ten thousand yen up front.”

        Yasuo took a step back. “Ten thousand?!”

        “Up front. You want this job done right? I want the money.”

        The Judge's face flared red from anger, though in the uncertain light, he was sure the Assassin couldn't tell. Then he walked over to a chest, hidden behind the alter at the far wall of the sanctuary, and measured out the yen.

        Yasuo walked the payment over to Isamu, who hadn't moved from his spot, “Take the money. But if this job isn’t done right, or if you double cross me, I’ll kill you.”

        Isamu shrugged as if the threat meant little to him, and took the small fortune from the Judge's hand. Oh how Yasuo wanted to strangle this guy. Isamu knew that he worked for him, but he never became a Priest, never pledge any loyalty. Never receiving the mark of the Order. He was the biggest liability, the biggest unknown, but Yasuo needed him. And the only way he stayed around was when he was paid what he asked for.

        Painstakingly, Isamu took a long moment to count the money himself, slowly. He knew Yasuo wouldn't cheat him but he always enjoyed watching the older man squirm. Satisfied, he then tucked the pouch of yen into some place under his cloak. Payment acquired, he bowed shallowly, a mock of respect, and then turned and left.

        Yaso gritted his teeth as he watched the Assassin go. He wish he didn’t have to rely on this bastard to get things done.

 

* * *

 

        Amused grin on his face, Isamu walked out of the temple and peered in the direction that he had been told Rae had gone. The Hidden Leaf was very populated, and it was unlikely that she had left. Duping the Order into thinking she had moved on, it was clever. He knew that was the kind of stupid thing Rae would do. Maybe he could even spare some time to create a few casualties. Rae would be no problem for him. Killing her would be easy, it wasn’t like he had to bring her back alive. Not that he would even if Yasuo asked him too. He knew of Rae’s power and he wasn’t inept enough to try and bring back someone like her alive.

        But first, he wanted to play with his victim. He would let her feel comfortable, as if she could settle in to her new life and the danger had passed, then he would shatter that dream. He'd tear it from her hands, make her realize that there would never be any escaping from her past. 

        Oh he would enjoy this.


	14. New Mission and Old Memories

        Several months had passed, and given the circumstances, Seiri thought everything had turned out quite well. She had a new place she could now call home and she had an occupation that was similar to her previous one, except without all the trickery and treachery, so it wasn't too much of a shocking transition. Being an ANBU wasn’t entirely different than being a Priest, the only difference being they had a conscience and cared for the innocent. Which was actually quite a huge difference. All the compassion was something she had never really seen before. 

        Most importantly, living with Kakashi was nice. It lifted her spirit greatly to be around someone who cared for her so much.

        She didn’t let Kakashi cross any boundaries as far as their relationship was concerned, though. She wanted to hold true to her beliefs. Beliefs that had shaped her for most of her life. That didn't mean it wasn't difficult. She liked Kakashi, and she could tell that he liked her too. But, for now, she wanted things to stay neutral between them. Nothing more. She had made vows. Ones that weren’t a tough sacrifice for her at the time during her childhood, but she needed to honor them now. She wasn’t ready to break them, and she was thankful that Kakashi accepted and understood that. It hadn't been easy to talk to him about it, after all.

        Currently, Seiri was being briefed on a new mission. The location was a temple in the snow village. While not in the jurisdiction of the Land of Fire, or the Hidden Leaf for that matter, the ANBU had been hired for the job. The natives in the area were unable to handle the situation on their own and had reached out to Lady Tsunade for assistance. 

        Rumors had sprouted that there was a cult organizing there. Seiri scowled to herself and felt slightly disappointed _. ‘Too bad it wasn’t my old temple…’_  she thought. She would have enjoyed visiting them again just for the pure pleasure of teaching them a lesson.

        A painful lesson.

        As it turned out, the mission was simply to gather information on the growing cult. Nothing more. The rumors only suggested that the cult was gathering a following at the moment, they weren't yet a danger to anyone. No plans for hostilities. But those plans could change in a matter of minutes. That was why the ANBU was being sent. Gather info, but if action needed to be taken, they would be prepared to handle it. 

        The Hokage finished the briefing and everyone was sent away. Seiri returned to the house quickly to pack provisions. Rations, spare weapons, the essentials. Then she, and five other members of the ANBU, met at the front gates. Once together, they left. The red head thought about Kakashi as she jumped from tree to tree. She hadn’t said good-bye to him. Not that she could have anyway, he was on a mission with his students. They had their Chunin Exams approaching soon and they needed to be prepared. 

        Seiri shrugged, there was nothing she could have done. It wasn't like she could have gone off to find him before leaving. She didn't have the time. The ANBU had to leave immediately. Besides, she had no idea where she could have started to look. From what little she had heard, that trio of students of his was a handful. Especially when the blond one--Naruto, she believed--and the Uchiha--was it Sasuke?--got into arguments. They could be anywhere.

        The forest blurred past Seiri like streaming ribbons as she focused only on the direction in front of her. It was a streaking, continuous line of greens, browns, yellows, and reds. It was only the middle of autumn, but she wondered what this place would look like in Winter. With the dazzling white snow sparkling as the sun hit it. Or did it even get snow here?

        Either way, it must be beautiful.

 

        * * *

 

        The group traveled all day. From the second they had left Konoha this morning all the way until now, as the sun was beginning to set below the trees and then the horizon. Seiri knew she could still go on but she wasn’t the only new recruit. There was one other, and they weren’t as well trained for all of this like she and the rest of the ANBU were. So they stopped and made camp, lighting up a warm fire in the middle. And even though she knew they all could have gone a bit longer, everyone slumped appreciatively in front of the flames.

        Seiri's mind wandered as she stared at the golden embers of the fire. She hoped Jun would be okay. She paid the stable boy extra to take care of him while she was gone. So far, she had been taking care of Jun every day ever since she got to Konoha. This was the first time she had needed to pay someone to take care of him for her. Of course, she paid to let her horse stay in the stables, but then took care of everything else herself. Besides, Seiri couldn’t very well take him with her on this mission. It would be unfair to all the other ANBU who would have to run the entire way. It would compromise the team. And she knew how important it was to stick together.

        As the fire burned down to nothing more than glowing ashes, everyone started to settle into sleep. She had first watch and would be up for a few hours. For her post, Seiri jumped into a tree that had a good overview of the camp, then settled onto a branch than was large enough for her to lean back against the trunk on and rest in a sitting position. All was quiet, and as the red head looked skyward at the stars that were blinking into visibility with the ever darkening sky, old memories began to surface. Memories that she wanted to forget.

 

~

 

         _“Mommy!” A boy screamed in the streets. He was scared. Houses were on fire and dozens of bodies littered the ground. Blood pooled around each. Weapons sticking out of the figures. Most were people the boy knew._

_“MOMMY!”_

        _Seiri ran up to him and grabbed the little boy, he was no older the five and she no older than seven. No one was going to help him and she couldn’t leave him standing there screaming. Seiri ran, anywhere would do. So long as they got away from the place. She picked the boy up, letting him piggy back on her as she ran through the village until they were finally clear of the destruction. Then she stopped and looked back over the burning and screaming. Screams that filled the air and people that rushed around like mice unable to escape a snake in a cage. She turned away, she didn’t need to see any more. Didn't_ want _to see any more. And the little boy didn't need to see it either. Only once she turned around and started walking, she ran into something… Or rather, someone._

_“Oh, and where are you two going in such a hurry?” A dark voice had asked._

_Seiri screamed and tried running away but the man pried the little boy from her back, him yelling to be let go, and she turned around to pull him back, frantic. She held onto the little boy's foot and tried desperately to get him away. She wasn’t going to let this… this monster take him from her. She shouted curses at the man, using the biggest vocabulary she knew. Which was very limited._

_He only laughed at her attempts and yanked the boy from her grasp. Seiri screamed louder at him and tried to get the little boy back. Tears were streaking her face in lines, carving their way through the soot and dirt from the fires she had walked through._

_She never did get the boy._

_Instead, the man got them both._

        _Then, back at the temple that their abductors called_ 'home', _the little boy and she received the mark of the Priest. The hot iron biting into their flesh and leaving a scar in the twisted shape of their Order. Seiri could never explain the agony she felt when they had to hold her down to do so._

_After the joining, she met up with the little boy. She had only an hour to say goodbye before she would be assigned to her new master… an old man in his fifties called Shujin. So she rushed towards the little boy she had tried to save and hugged him tightly, telling him she was sorry she couldn’t save either of them from this terrible fate. He shrugged the matter away, as if unimportant. He told her it was unavoidable, they were kids, they weren't strong like adults. Seiri told him her name, smiling broadly as she did so. This was her first real friend. He then told her his…_

_Yehvon._

 

_~_

 

        The stars looked identical to the way they did that day, but then, they were stars.

        Always unchanging.

        Seiri could still feel the heat of the burning houses on her face from the memory. The blare of explosions and the light ringing of clanging weapons across what was now a battle field. She still wondered why they attacked her old village. Why they made her relive that day. What hatred did the Judge hold for her old village? What did they do to him?

        No doubt something he deserved.


	15. Corruption

        Getting to the Temple in the Land of Snow took a lot longer than planned. They were a whole two days off their original travel estimate. Not that the change mattered significantly, but now the ANBU had less time to spend on surveillance before returning to Konoha. They were on a time limit. The villagers wanted their help, but also didn't want such a heavily armed force from another village spending too much time walking around their lands. They were grateful for assistance, but intimated all the same. It meant less time to figure out if the cult was a danger. To themselves or to the surrounding people. If not, there wouldn't be much to report back, but if things turned sour, the ANBU was going to have a mess on their hands.

        The six Hidden Leaf ninja walked along the main road. They could see the wintry Temple peeking overhead, a small but still magnificent sight of white marble and intricate detail. Accented by the frost that shimmered like tiny rainbows under the afternoon sun that just barely peeked through the clouds overhead.

         This was the last leg of their mission. 

_'Should be easy,’_  Seiri thought. She highly doubted that this new cult was dangerous, but that didn’t mean she relaxed. The red head had been trained for years to anticipate and expect something bad to happen at all times. It was what all the Priests were required to do. People might have perceived them as simple religious folk but that didn't mean they were safe. And always, in the end, it gave Seiri the upper hand over her opponents. 

        She'd put that training to good use here, she would be prepared for anything.

 

        It was past noon. Even in the chill of a place like this, the sun was still warm. That wonderful burning ball in the sky still sent rays of heat down that pushed out the chill of this preemptive winter. To Seiri, it was a piece of Heaven that was glaring down on her.

        As they walked closer to the Temple, Seiri whispered a silent prayer for a positive outcome. She could already tell that the other new recruit was itching for action. She understood the feeling but was still appreciative for one of the older ANBU as they turned towards the man and helped urge him to calm down. He did so immediately, having been completely unaware of his anxiousness. 

        They climbed the steps that led to the Temple doors, which were massive in size and towered over the small group. When pushed open, however, they swung on their hinges easily--which had been greased so that they didn't make any sound. Still surprising, though, as Seiri assumed their immense weight would have made them make even a little bit of creaking noise.

        The cavernous, single room inside was completely empty. The ceiling stretched above the ANBU and seemed to go on forever, as the darkness made the perception of depth seem more than it was. There were also numerous pillars on the sides of the hall that spanned from floor to ceiling. The entire interior of the Temple consisted of a bluish-black marble that seemed to glow with life. At the far end of the room was a massive, silver symbol that hung from the wall. No doubt a symbol of the religion these cultists followed. A bowl sat just beneath the symbol, on a counter that was center with the room. Inside the container burned a _blue-purple_  flame. Seiri glared at it fiercely, knowing it to be dark magic.

        In the Priests, she had been taught that a _blue-purple_  flame was a sign of witchcraft. Unholy. And when such a fire sat within a Temple, it symbolized the corruption of the holy dwelling. Now a home for a more demonic influence. The only way Seiri knew for a Temple to be exorcised was to have someone pure of heart perform the Right of Tranquility. She doubted there was anyone present to do such a deed, herself included. She had committed too many sins against the heavens to be considered pure, and she knew it. Her past life as a Priest hadmade sure of that.

        If only she had noticed the danger she was getting herself into.

        Seiri shrugged, there was nothing she could do about it. But as they walked closer to the bowl of flame, the red head felt a heavy weight on her shoulders, as if getting even this close was too much for her. The aura coming from in front of her was strong and evil, it practically suffocated her with its intensity. She imagined the witchcraft must have been here for months to grow this strong. The other ANBU seemed to have no issues with it though. No doubt because they weren't as in tune with their spiritual sides like Seiri was.

        As they got closer, Seiri had to stop--though the rest of her group continued on. Once within a hands reach of the bowl, the other new ANBU recruit reached for it against all better judgement.

        A part of the flame crawled away from where it burned and wrapped itself onto the man's arm, a flickering, _blue-purple_  worm that didn't burn hot but rather cold. It looked like a snake, wiggling around the ANBU's limb. Then, suddenly, and with such speed, it raced up his body and slipped in between his lips and down his throat. The ANBU panicked, grabbing at his neck where his companions could see the faint glow of the flame that was inside him. It only took a few seconds before the panic died away to complete, serene calmness. 

        The possessed ANBU turned to look back at his companions and Seiri involuntarily took a step back. One of his eyes was completely white, no pupil, no color. The other eye was completely black. The red head pulled her cloak back with one hand and pulled out a large long sword that she had strapped to her belt. There was etching on the blade in a language she had taught herself in her old Temple. An inscription from a near dead language that she dared not read unless absolutely necessary. The language was only known by a handful of people, and Seiri had broken several rules in the Priests by learning it. She remembered, back when she was a child and her curiosity wasn't as harshly reprimanded, that Shujin had told her it was the language of the Shinigami. 

        That was partially true.

        The tainted ANBU grew deformed as the seconds passed, twisted spikes growing out of his back with a crooked angle. His skin grew pale white and Seiri sighed in deep sadness. This man was already dead, his soul taken and replaced with one of corruption. Seiri gripped her sword with two hands. The rest of her teammates might not like that she was about to kill one of their own, one of the new recruits even, but what they needed to understand was that this man had been overtaken by something demonic.

        She needed to kill him whether they wanted her to or not.


	16. Demon

        The grip Seiri had on her long sword was loose, not wanting to stress her muscles with a tense grip before the fighting had even started. The remaining four ANBU unconsciously backed away and gave space to the red head and their possessed comrade.  _‘Good’,_  she thought, thankful that her new companions weren't protesting to the action she was taking. 

        She swung her long sword experimentally, testing the weight and reminding her body of her weapon's feel. She then got into an offensive stance and waited for the demon to make its move. It took but a moment, the creature provoked at her lack of fear. It charged at her blindly, rage seething in its eyes, the once-human man's nails grew abnormally long hardening into something akin to the strength of metal.

        The demon swung an elongated limb of an arm, trying to slash Seiri with its claws. She dodged easily, the claws never touching her, and she found it extremely important to keep it that way for some reason. There was something about this demon that unnerved her, more than it should have. There was something different…

        She couldn't figure out what, though.

        Seiri swung her sword around like it weighed nothing, as light as a feather, managing to land a blow right under what should have been the demon's ribs. Blood flowed freely but the wound didn’t seem to affect the creature. Its aura just grew and the weight on the girl's shoulders increased as result. She felt surrounded by the impurity, tainted, corrupted, but she knew that it all was just in her head. It wasn't true. 

       In a startling, horrifying moment, the twisted spikes on the demon's back stretched forth and reached for Seiri. She acted quickly, gripping her sword tightly as she swung it upwards in a skyward arc. She severed the spikes before they reached her, stopping them dead in their tracks before they receded, their tips dropping to the floor with a strange, metallic chime. The demon made no sound of pain. Only a roar of seething fury escaped its strange mouth.

        Seiri's mind was working overtime, trying to piece together the clues so she could figure out how to defeat this creature. She knew what this demon was, she had learned about it, but she couldn’t place her finger the memory she was trying to access. She mentally cursed, upset that she couldn't locate the information she needed when the moment was so vital. 

        She had learned about spiritual beings not from the Priests at the Temple, though. Instead, learning from the man who had taught her the forbidden language. That man basically taught her everything she knew that didn't deal with stealth or combat. The Temple, now that Seiri thought about it, only taught her how to kill the innocent and obey orders. Neither of which was of any use right now.

        Underhand cuts, side cuts, side swings, lunges, overhead cuts, she made blow after blow on the creature. Inflicting wounds not even the strongest man could withstand. Yet the demon made no sound of pain, no cry of agony, only the shrill screech of its roar. Seiri made one last cut, directly into the creature’s heart, expecting the beast to fall any moment.

        It did not.

 

        The skin of the former ANBU, which had been horribly disfigured through all the red head's cuts and jabs and the growing deformities caused by the demonic presence, now fell away from its body. As it slid away, sickeningly, all that remained behind was the skeleton. In response, Seiri, sword still in hand, drew her arms upward before lowering them in front of her, elbows bent, clasping her palms together, fingers intertwined, hilt of her blade in between. She whispered a short incantation before waiting. 

        Nothing happened.

        Her motion and words were meant to guide one's mortal soul from their body, send it to the afterlife. It didn't work on healthy,  _living_  people, but was excellent when used against something spiritual. She should have seen the glow of the former ANBU's soul rise and exit the skeleton but there was nothing. Just a cold, hollow emptiness. 

 

        The bones still stood as if the _man_ were still alive and walking, but then they broke, shattered into millions of pieces. The shards dispersed into all directions like a bomb had gone off inside the skeleton. Left in the corpse’s place was a black cloud and a thick, evil aura that was tangible in its deep purple color. A creature raised out of the haze. It had the legs of a goat, the torso and arms of a man, the head of a ram, and the small wings of a dragon. The demon was even as tall as the ceiling of the wintry Temple.

        Seiri's eyes widened considerably as realization dawned on her. She turned around and yelled for the rest of the ANBU to get the hell out of there. They ran with no complaint, terrified. It was amazing they hadn't fled already. She followed behind them and once outside, she stopped and looked back at the towering building of white marble. A low, booming roar errupted from the inside of the structure. Then, the building started to crumble as the demon swung its massive arms, wreaking havoc against walls and pillars to escape.

        Seiri knew she had to fight the monster here. She couldn't let it escape. 

        It would kill everyone in its path.

        Now she knew why there was no soul when she had uttered the incantation, the demon had eaten it. Used the man’s soul to fulfill its hunger and be able to walk outside of the spiritual realm. the ANBU had been a sacrifice. This specific creature was one of the _Sovereign_. A guardian of the darkest reaches of the spiritual realm. Normally, they only appeared when a pact had been broken, when one turned against whatever agreement had been made with the Underworld. For a Sovereign to appear now, and from a possessed flame, it meant that someone had not honored their own deal. Perhaps that why the ANBU had yet to see any sign of the cult that was supposed to be here. They were running from their fears. This Sovereign was sent to collect their souls for their betrayal.

        Seiri shook her head, people were so stupid sometimes.

        The building collapsed completely now, leaving only glittering, frosted rubble at the demon’s feet. As soon as it was free of the confined space, it began to grow larger. Now twice its original size. Before it came after Seiri once more, it lifted a massive hoofed foot and slammed it down on a small building just to the side of where the Temple once stood. Blood sprayed in all directions like a pressed tomato.

_‘So the cult was hiding there? Right next to the Temple?’_ Seiri thought shocked that the cultists had been daft enough to cower right next to their problems.

 

        Then the demon turned its fiery, red hot gaze on her.


	17. Sovereign of Fear

        The fight begun

        At first the wind was all that was audible, but then a roar erupted from the demon. Deep throated and menacing. It cracked through the silence like a whip but Seiri didn’t flinch. She stood her ground and waited for the beast to make its first move.

        It charged towards her with blinding speed. The demon was enormous compared to the red head, but it reminded her of a saying she used to tell herself; _‘the bigger they are, the harder they fall’_. She grinned mischievously at that thought.

        Fifty meters.

        Forty meters.

_‘Here it comes’,_  she thought.

        At the last moment, she jumped up high into the air, threw multiple kunai at the demon out of sheer curiosity if they would do anything, then landed on the monster’s shoulder. The kunai did nothing, as expected. The monster shook violently to try and throw Seiri off its body. She sprung off the demon’s shoulder and stabbed her long sword into its back as she fell back to the ground. She left a deep and long cut that sliced down the demon’s back.

        Still, no cry of agony.

        “What is this?” She breathed to herself, face contorted with confusion.

        The demon brought its right hand down in a forceful arc, almost crushing Seiri with it. The red head barely managed to get out of the way. Then, she was about to attack when she heard the monster begin to speak. A tremulous sound of overlapping voices. Seiri recognized the words from the language she wasn't supposed to know of.

_“.dnaletsaw siht nopu covah kaerw ot ecnahc eht rof ,luos sih ,efil s'namuh siht edart I ,htaeD”_

**[HINT: read this backwards]**

        The voice boomed in its multitude, sending faint vibrations through the ground. Seiri knew what he had spoken, knew its meaning.

        A cloaked figure of black smoke and trailing, onyx ribbons of fabric appeared before the demon, floating high above Seiri so that it was level with the monster's head. Its own face, if it had one, hidden deep within the cowl of its hood shrouded by a deeper blackness that slept within. Just looking at this horror, made Seiri feel unclean and nauseous.

        The ominous creature's fingers were long and bony, appearing slate grey, clutching at a scythe that Seiri had been told stories of. Sharp enough to tear through the veil separating this world and the afterlife. Its cloak consumed the being's entire form, fading into mist and smoke at the ends. The black, darkness of it was so intense that it absorbed light, appearing infinite in its depth, making it impossible to discern any detail of the being's form. Seiri felt like that darkness could consume her, she could get lost in it. With difficulty, she pried her eyes away, feeling that if she stared too long, she would become trapped in those impossible depths. After all this was over, whether it was she who died or the demon, she never wanted to see this reaper again.

        The cloaked figure then brought an arm up and stabbed its long, needle-like fingernails into the demon’s chest. It ripped out the soul within, an onyx mass of corruption that glowed intensely with a dark light. To this Shinigami, a corrupted soul such as this was as valuable as diamonds to a human. Then, as if in reward, the being sliced the demon with its scythe. A bright crimson light erupted from the demon’s chest and the monster grew larger, the intensity of its aura weighing more heavily with its inimical intentions. The cloaked figure chanted something Seiri didn’t catch and then disappeared back to wherever it came from.

        That fiery gaze turned on the red head once again. This time, for the first time, she felt uncertain and incredibly uneasy. A sharp nauseousness turned her gut and her heart pounded against her rib cage like an animal. The fear she felt spread through her like a virus and consumed her mind but she forced it back, concentrating on her need to survive. If she faltered, hesitated in any way...

        She could very well die here.

        A massive broadsword appeared in the demon’s right hand. Once fully materialized, the tip dropped loudly to the ground, sending a brief earthquake through the area. The demon started walking towards Seiri, carrying the blade as it dragged the weapon along, sparking as metal ground against rock. It was that moment, staring down the approaching danger, that the demon's name came to Seiri:

_Vagaun_ , Sovereign of Fear.

        Chills crawled down Seiri's spine and her feet seemed glued to the floor. She couldn’t move. Her will to fight shriveled and cowered in the back of her mind.

        Almost. Vagaun was within reach of her with its broadsword.

        Almost.

        Three more massive steps, then the demon stopped. Seiri went to pull out another sword that hung from her back, just behind her cloak. She tended to do better with duel weapons. She got no further than grabbing the hilt though before Vagaun brought up a leg and swung it out in an attempt to kick her. Seiri managed to move away in time, just barely, but the force of the movement seemed to carve through the air and the aftershocks sent Seiri flying backwards. She slammed hard into the ground, tumbling with her feet going over her head before sliding to a stop. Nothing felt broken, but she could already feel bruises forming over her ribs. There was no time to focus on them, however, she needed to kill this beast. She was the only thing standing in its way before it went on a rampage.

        The red head grunted as she stood up and held her heavy, inscribed blade in her hands. She always assumed that it was those words along the steel that made it feel weightless, especially since its size and the amount of metal that was used to create the weapon should have made it incredibly heavy. Her grip around the hilt was tight, she knew she wouldn't have time to pull the other blade on her back free.

        Vagaun was upon her.

        The beast brought its sword swinging in a sideways arc. Seiri's only way of escape was to drop low to the ground, flattening herself against the earth. The blade passed harmlessly overhead, she could see her reflection in the silver of the weapon, her breath fogged its length as it passed. Then she was in the clear.

        Fighting a demon that towered over a hundred feet was taxing, and nearly impossible. She had to keep on the defensive while she figured out how to hurt the creature. So, in her tactical maneuvers, she kept moving further and further back from Vagaun, the beast following after her just as she wanted it to. She needed to pull it away from the area where she knew the rest of the ANBU were hiding. She was fighting for her life, but she would also protect theirs. She wasn't going to let anyone else die.

        If anyone had to, it would be her. 

        The broadsword swung again, in an overhead arc this time. Seiri, in a moment of panic, held her own blade up horizontally. One hand holding the hilt, the other, palm pressed to the flat of the steel. A loud chime sounded as the weapons collided, but the red head's didn't break, nor did she feel the full weight of Vagaun's attack. The bone of her arms didn't shatter with the impact as they should of. Seiri was panting and thanking the heavens that looked out for her. It was the inscription on her steel that had saved her. Nearly a dead language or no, the power it held and provided was true. Those words had aided her, helped absorb the blow to make it feel as if Seiri was fighting a normal person with slightly above average strength. But that was something she could handle. Of course, if Vagaun's blade hit her flesh, the words were useless. They didn't protect her body.

        She told herself that she didn't need to read those words yet.

        For now, Seiri felt she could simply continue this gruesome, unbalanced fight. She wanted, desperately, to end this with mortal means. She begged the deity she followed to lend her the strength she needed to end this solely with combat. She slashed, cut, dodged, nothing worked. She felt her shoulders tense with fatigue but she couldn't give up.

        In a hopeless attempt, Seiri used her chakra to climb the beast, running up its leg, its torso, all the way until she reached the head. She put as much chakra as she dared into one forceful kick that sent Vagaun falling backwards. The beast collapsed to the ground but was unaffected otherwise. It roared in anger as it lied there. Seiri could see the imprint of her boot on the side of its face as she stood on the middle of its chest, it bled a deep violet liquid. The creature didn't seem to care.

        Bringing her sword up in a two handed grip with the blade pointing towards the ground, Seiri drove the steel into Vagaun's heart. Or, at least, where she assumed it would be. A moment passed, a painfully long moment. The most astonishing thing happened.

        Nothing.

        Vagaun was still alive, unaffected.

        The demon swept a clawed hand over its body, backhanding Seiri and sending her flying meters away and tumbling onto the snowy ground. A piece of shattered glass from a window in the destroyed Temple dug itself painfully into her side. She screamed, in frustration more than pain, and looked down at the grooved shard. It was a large piece and the cut was bad, the wound at least seven inches wide and she had no idea how deep. Seiri attempted to grab the shard but flinched as lightning like pain shot incredibly from the wound to the rest of her body.

        The red head searched frantically around her for her sword which she had pulled free of the demon's chest but had dropped when it had struck her. It was her only hope. She no longer felt any reservations towards the inscription. If she continued on like this, she would die in the next few moments.

        There!

        It was only meters away to her left. She tried standing but failed miserably as she collapsed back to the ground in pain. Seiri saw one of the ANBU try to run and help her but she screamed at them to stay back. They obeyed, reluctantly. Unable to stand, she crawled towards the blade. Closer. Closer. As she crawled, she shouted to her comrades to go back to Konoha. They would die if they stayed. None of them made any move to retreat. Seiri clenched her teeth before yelling at them again. She didn't want their help, she wanted them safe. And if they stayed there in their fear for one more goddamn minute, they were going  _to die!_  

        Faintly, she heard one of them say they would wait for her at the edge of the village. They wouldn't abandon her. It wasn't what she asked for but it would do. At least if she failed, it would give them time to get away.

        Her fingertips were inches from the pommel.

        “Yes!” She shouted as she gripped the the hilt and held it tightly. Vagaun's steps shook the ground and his shadow blanketed Seiri as he towered over her, menacing, fury in those dark, harrowing eyes. He roared and she was thrown into an instinctive panic. With immense concentration, Seiri forced the instinct away and emptied her mind as she read the inscription along the steel of her weapon.

_“.debmuccus ytirup ot noitpurroC .noitaerc otni kcab evlossid ot mroF . doolb fo taht ssaprus ot nosmirC . thgiliwt fo taht ssaprus ot ssenkraD"_

        Her blade glowed brightly, an almost blinding white. It gave Seiri some reserve strength but she knew she still wouldn’t be able to hold out for long. She managed to stumble to her feet, the glass in her side biting into her flesh painfully. She held her blade unsteadily at first. Her breath was shaky, but as she stood there, she calmed herself. Her mind quieted, serene in her acceptance of what she was about to do. Through the adrenaline, she managed to forget about the pain she felt and she gripped her weapon more firmly.

        Vagaun roared at her, trying to instill that fear once again. Seiri didn't think about it as she jumped high into the air, with the aid of her chakra, so that she came level with the beast's face. She threw a kick that did no real damage and found herself caught in the tight grip of the demon. Her head was the only thing visible outside of the massive, clawed fist. 

        Then an ear piercing cry was ripped from its throat.

        Seiri had stabbed her sword through its hand, causing the monster to drop her as if she had been hot iron. She fell to the ground, tucking and rolling on her good side back into a standing position. Then she lunged at Vagaun and kicked the demon its goat like legs one last time, he started to fall backwards.

        Time seemed to move immeasurably slowly, everything seeming to halt in its movement. Seiri could hear the pounding of her heart in her ears, could hear the nauseating sound of the glass biting her flesh even though she couldn't feel it. She brought her bade up and held it with two hands as she once again lunged at the demon.

        All was silent, but she heard the hissing of her breath as it seeped from her parted lips. With her last bit of strength, Seiri shoved the glowing, brilliantly white blade into the monster's right eye. Distorted, overlapping voices bellowed in agony as the demon roared its hatred. Then everything fell silent, truly silent, once the beasts hit the ground.

        Vagaun was dead.

        The impact of the fall sent Seiri flying over the monster's shoulder and tumbling onto the ground. A wave of light and a powerful explosion burst forth from where her sword still stuck out of Vagaun's eye. She had to cover her own vision to keep from going blind, though she was unable to cover her ears. They rang loudly inside her head, disorienting the red head. Then, when it all had passed, she looked back to see the body of Vagaun gone and her sword jutting out of the ground.

        Seiri laid on her stomach, staring out to the side where she could see the road. No longer did she feel the need to move. She had managed to kill one of the greatest demons in recorded history, she deserved a rest. Even if death was her rest.

        Slowly, a tear rode down the side of her face and over the side of my nose. It fell into the cold, hard dirt and snow beneath her. Seiri felt a sense of guilt; that she had wasted her life being a Priest. Everything she had been taught was a lie, all the knowledge she acquired was from the Council's perspective and their own opinions. Could she trust anything she had learned from the organization? Was anything true?

        Then Kakashi passed through her thoughts. His silver hair and mask, and his wonderfully kind personality that had led Seiri to become quite close with him. She would miss him. And that was the one thing she would regret most, not saying goodbye to him. To thank him for all he’d done for her, to tell him what a great friend he’d been and how much she treasured him.

        She would regret it all.

        Then her eyelids felt heavy and slowly they shut, she had no strength to keep them open any longer. Seiri saw blackness, and then it twisted into a spiral of blinding light. It enveloped her, filling her body with warmth.

        Was this how it felt to die?


	18. Recovery

        Seiri's golden eyes slowly opened, though not all the way. All she saw was white. A white that swam around in her vision like a nauseating curtain. She swore that it was the most terrible color she'd ever seen. She hated how blinding it was. 

        A voice answered her when she was certain she hadn't spoken, “White isn't so bad.”

      _‘Am I thinking out loud?’_  she thought. Or at least, she thought she thought.

        “I believe you are.”

        _‘Who’s speaking? Where am I?’_  she thought again. It had to all be in her head, she didn't feel the familiar hum of words coming out of her mouth, didn't feel her lips move.

        “It’s Kakashi, if you’ve already forgotten, and you’re in Konoha’s hospital.”

        “What? How’d I get here?” Seiri mumbled. This time, she knew she was speaking the words.

        “You were badly injured, your ANBU team brought you back after they heard the fighting stop and went back for you. You're very lucky to be alive, Seiri."

        Slowly the red head's mind cleared of the fog. She realized she was _truly_  awake. It wasn't just her imagination, she wasn't still lying on that snowy ground. That this wasn’t a dream, she hadn’t died.  She opened her eyes all the way then and looked around the room, taking in her surroundings. She tried sitting up but let out a cry of pain instead. Kakashi quickly moved to her side and told her that she shouldn’t move. Apparently, she had broken six ribs, her left leg, and fractured her right wrist. She groaned at the news and stared into Kakashi’s onyx eye for a long time, neither of them saying anything. She didn’t know where to start; she wanted to hug him and tell him thank you, but that seemed like such a pathetic way of showing gratification right now. And she couldn't have done it anyway.

        “Kakashi… I—“

        “Don’t. I’m just glad you’re all right.” He said with a smile. At least that’s what it looked like through his mask.

        Seiri reached up with her left arm, the one that wasn’t hurt, and pulled his mask from his face. He let her. She gazed at his features as the mask fell away. He was handsome. More so than she thought. And  _seeing_  his smile this time filled her with happiness, a warmth that consumed her.

        She rested her hand on his cheek. “Thank you, Kakashi… for everything.”

        He brought one of his hands up grabbed hers, bringing it down to his lap and holding it, “You say thank you a lot, you know. I think I should be the one to thank you.”

        “Why’s that?” 

        “Because you’ve been the greatest friend I've had in a long time.”

        “Kakashi—“ she was cut off again, but by his lips this time. He kissed her passionately, but softly, and what Seiri realized was... she wanted it. With every fiber of her being. She was ready to break her vows that held no meaning for her anymore.

        She was ready to fall in love.

        With Kakashi.

        She wrapped her left arm around his neck and kissed him back. Emotion spilled out in the intimacy they were sharing. Relief, gratitude. Seiri loved this man, more than she knew. She felt she had been too entangled in her own rules, the _Priest's_ _rules_ , to notice that she was free enough to disobey them. And if she was going to disobey them at all, then she wanted to with Kakashi.


	19. Arrival

        It had been a couple months since Seiri's encounter with Vagaun, and she would be allowed to leave the hospital soon. Much to her delight. Even still, she was told she needed to rest up as much as possible. The doctors wanted her to do nothing that would put any sort of physical strain on her body, which ruled out practically everything. She groaned at the thought of doing absolutely nothing for the coming months. She wanted to train, she needed to keep her senses sharp. But, resigned, she obeyed the doctor's orders.

 

* * *

 

        When Seiri was released from the hospital, Kakashi was there to escort her out and take her home. It made her happy to have someone in her life who truly cared so much about her. And it made her more happy that she could reciprocate those feelings back towards him. Maybe it was all the peril she had been in that really just gave her the shove she needed. 

        Kakashi’s house looked like heaven in her eyes. She was sick of all the white walls the hospital had. Plus, even off in the Snow Village during the ANBU's mission, all she had seen was white. The Temple's exterior was even crafted out of  _white_  marble! She hated that color now, and Kakashi's house was nearly, blissfully, devoid of it.

        The silver haired ninja helped Seiri over to the couch; she slumped into it gratefully. Most of her broken bones had healed, much faster than they should have but no one was complaining. From the report Seiri had given the Hokage, Lady Tsunade, about their mission, accelerated healing was practically the most normal thing that was happening to the red head right now. Her ribs still ached, however. No where near the excruciating pain they had been causing her, but it still felt slightly uncomfortable if she took too deep of breaths.

        Kakashi tended to Seiri the rest of the day. Bringing her food when she was hungry, water when she was parched. One of the more embarrassing moments, though she didn't actually mind that much, was when Kakashi helped bathe her. He had had to carry her into his bathroom and set her into the bathtub, then sponge her clean. Seiri blushed the entire time, as red as a tomato. She couldn't have done it herself, even raising her arms above her head pulled at muscles that were still healing. 

        Kakashi didn't complain.

 

* * *

 

        When the aches and bruises had subsided, and Seiri found she could move about about freely without pain, she decided to go to the training grounds. It had been much too long since she had done anything and she knew she wasn't as strong as she needed to be. She wasn't upset about that, but it needed to be remedied. She wanted to be at her best. Only, this time, she trained slowly, at a safe pace, and never pushed herself too much.

        She tested the weight of her sword in her hands, the smaller one--not the one with the inscriptions. It felt odd as she turned it, slicing at the empty air. Months without training had erased a bit of her muscle memory. Though, it still felt good to hold the blade once again. 

        She stacked short, thin logs on the ground for practice. Standing before them, she clutched the long blade in front of her. Then, raising it up, she swung it down in aslant, carving a clean, vertical line through the stumps. Her side protested in its soreness at the movement but Seiri didn't mind. It wasn't anything serious. She inspected her work, nodding. It wasn't as clean a cut as it could have been but that was just her being picky.

        She practiced with her weapon for several dozen more minutes before she heard running and turned around to see one of Kakashi’s students. “Seiri! Someone just came through Konoha’s gates asking for you!" The boy was blond and energetic, lines like whiskers on his face and brilliantly blue eyes. Naruto, she remembered.

        The red head stood up straight and dropped her sword to her side, still holding the hilt, "What? Who?"

        He stopped once he reached her, placing his hands behind his head, not even winded from running, "I dunno, but he was wearing a big green hat and was dressed all in black.”

        Seiri's golden eyes narrowed. “And he was carrying weapons?”

        Naruto nodded, “Yeah, he had two katanas crossed on his back and some weird, curved daggers at his belt.”

        Her eyes widened, “Isamu…”


	20. Eagerness

        Seiri ran to the front gates of the village and her suspicions were proven true. _‘So… Yasuo really is a coward,’_  she thought bitterly. She had hoped that Yasuo would have just let the matter go, or would do nothing because he didn’t know the details and presumed her actually dead. It appeared Seiri had set her hopes much too high. 

        “Rae! I was beginning to think that maybe I had the wrong village,” Isamu said as she started walking towards him. He was playing a dangerous game. "I heard from some of the villagers that you just recovered from some serious injuries.”

        “I did.” Her answer was simple, curt. The villager's around here didn’t know that she hated Isamu, didn't know he was an assassin. Naturally, his _‘friendly’_ attitude and open personality would invite others to spill information, especially when they didn't think it important to keep it a secret. It was one of the reasons that Yasuo enjoyed having Isamu in the Order. Even though he could never get the brand of the Priest on him. Isamu was too proud to be held down by something that he couldn’t guarantee he would stay a part of. He was—after all—a rogue of the worst kind. An assassin for hire. Maybe that made him more of a mercenary.

        “Well, I’m glad to see you’ve recovered so well,” He smiled but his voice was cold.

        “Skip the act, Isamu.” Seiri's voice was condescending, she wanted to get to the point. She wouldn't play these childish games of exchanging fake pleasantries. Isamu scowled at her.

        “You’d be doing yourself a favor if you just drew your blade and fell on it.”

        “Suicide is not my way.”

        He laughed, “I almost forgot. It’s against your religion to kill yourself is it not?”

        “That’s not it at all. I'm just not going to give you that satisfaction. I want the pleasure of taking your life and damning your soul to hell.”

        He growled at her, hatred burning in his green eyes. “You test my patience, Rae. If you keep this up, then I won’t start with you, I’ll start with them.” Isamu had whispered the words, just loud enough so Seiri would be the only one to hear them. This was becoming dangerous. She needed to draw him away from the crowds.

        “Then why don’t we finish this outside the village, there's more space.”

        “I was really looking forward to taking out a few innocents, though.” As a woman was passing Isamu, he went to grab her, only to scream out in pain as a shuriken seemed to materialize in the palm of his hand. He glared at Seiri with such fury, but she wasn't going to back down for any threat.

        The area cleared, people running, fearing for their safety. The duo was left alone, the guards at the gate running to tell the Hokage once Seiri had reassured them she could handle this on her own.

        “You so much as touch any of these people, and I will kill you where you stand.” Her voice didn't waver, her posture was confident and determined.

        “You couldn’t kill me.”

        “You're obviously oblivious to the training I underwent back in the Order. I burned down and slaughtered and entire village. People I cared about much more than you. So if you even so much as think I don’t have the ability to kill you, I do.” The danger read clearly through her eyes but it didn’t seem to affect the assassin.

        “Feisty,” Isamu said lazily, “I’ll enjoy bringing your lifeless body back to Yasuo.”

        Seiri felt nothing towards his words. She had single-handedly taken sown a Sovereign and lived. She could take down one insignificant man. So as he charged at her, sword in her hand but pointed at the ground, she waited. Maybe it was their history--she had undermined this assassin's authority many times, had gone over his head and caused him much more trouble than anyone else--but he seemed blinded by his anger towards her. So eager to kill her, so eager to bring her down. So confident that he could do so.

        At the last moment, dodging a flimsy, poor excuse of an attack, Seiri brought her blade up. Isamu didn't have time to evade, the steel piercing his heart as he slid into Seiri's embrace. There was a gurgled grunt as blood welled up in his mouth. His eyes showed how startled he was.

        “Your eagerness to kill me, Isamu, was your downfall.” She then pushed the man away from her, him sliding off the steel of her blade to fall in a pitiful heap on the ground. Dead. She wiped her blade clean on his cloak, then turned and walked away, making her way towards the Hokage building to inform Tsunade. Everything had happened so quickly, she knew she would get there before anyone even had time to report the problem.

        Not that there was one anymore.

        Seiri needn’t worry about anything any longer. Yasuo was out of resources, no doubt unwilling to come for her himself. There was nothing that remained. She was, officially, free of her bonds.


	21. Happiness

        With Isamu dead, Yasuo no longer a worry, and Seiri completely free of those horrible restrictions set in place when she was a part of her old Order, she now had a new life to look forward to. But... she didn't know what to do with that new found freedom, that shackle-less future. Her whole life, she was used to receiving orders, being the follower, never questioning her position or what she had to do. Now, she had no one to tell her what to do. She was at a loss.

        Being free was a new concept to Seiri. Even when she had run away in the beginning, she still had to deal with the Priests coming after her. Now there was just… _nothing_. She shook her head, this was all too complicated to think about. She needed to talk to Kakashi sometime, he could probably offer her some advice.

        As she was walking, thinking, Seiri unconsciously started making her way towards her shared home with the silver haired ninja. She remained completely oblivious of her destination until she noticed she was standing at the front door. She opened it without really mulling it over and stepped inside. The smell of food washing over her. The sweet aromas tugged her from her trance and stared towards Kakashi in the kitchen.

        “What are you making?” She asked, moving to stand near the island counter.

        “Just some lunch,” He replied distantly.

        “I mean, I figured...”

        He turned around from the stove then and smiled at the red head. His mask was off and his grin almost made her knees buckle from underneath her. She had to turn around and focus on something other than him. That was when she noticed how messy it was inside. Not terribly so, but it gave her something to do, something to distract her mind. Kakashi noticed what she was doing and chuckled lightly. Seconds later, she felt a presence behind her. Then arms around her waist. A deep blush flared onto her cheeks. Things like this were still new to her.

        “Lunch is going to burn, you know?"

        “I finished cooking a few minutes ago. All I need to pay attention to now is you,” he replied.

        Seiri smiled as she turned around in his arms and wrapped her own around his neck. She stared for a long time into that onyx eyes of his, and he into the gold of hers. He pulled her closer, their faces only inches apart. Softly, he kissed her, and as she reciprocated, it deepened into something more passionate. Seiri had never felt anything like this before. Her heart never having swelled so fully before with the love that filled her. 

        This was where she wanted to be.


	22. [Sequel] All That Remains

        Yasuo glared furiously before him. His anger was practically dripping from his body. The other members of the council were whispering amongst themselves, all seated in their raised positions of their crescent balcony that overlooked all of the room, occasionally stealing another glance at the body lying in the middle of the room. The body of Isamu--which, so graciously, Seiri had sent back to them. More of a message than anything. 

        As Yasuo stared into those dead eyes of the Assassin, he knew he lost. He knew there was nothing more that could be done. Seiri had escaped them. There was no one left who would dare oppose her, and Yasuo feared her too greatly to go after her himself. It was infuriating. It had been his decision to have her killed. The council all agreed with him, but he was the hand that guided the hammer. 

        Though, it wasn't only Isamu's death that encouraged his fear and frustration with Seiri. He had heard the reports of the demon she had killed in the Hidden Snow Village. He had even gone there himself to see if it was true and had silently watched as both Konohagakure ninja and the villagers of the Snow began repairing the Temple. What was left of it anyway. The damage had been incredibly substantial and Yasuo had gaped at the hoof-like prints that imprinted the ground deeply.

        Seiri had killed a demon, a  _Sovereign_ , and Yasuo had sent a mere  _man_  after her to try and take the red head down.

        What the hell  _was she?_

The Judge had read the texts he had forbidden the other members of the Priests, the entire council had. As was their right in accordance with their position. An unfair rule, but no one ever questioned it. Tomes of dead languages, a  _demon_  language, an ancient history; texts on the supernatural, the spiritual. There was power there, in that unknown, power that none of the elders wanted any of their Order having access too but them. And even though Seiri thought she had been sneaky about her learnings, the council knew all about them. It was one of the reasons they agreed to have her executed. She had betrayed them by lying and going against orders. Loyal as she had been, her actions were disobedient.

        Of course, what was most disconcerting was that one could read all the writings they wanted about the ancient histories, could study them to death, but to actually be able to  _use_  them--to utilize and take advantage of the power they offered--was impossible. None of the council knew how Seiri had gained her edge, or how she could so fluently speak that demon language in a way that invoked their authority and capability. Any of the members of the council could read the demon inscriptions, but none could draw out the force behind them. They were just words, as dead as the histories that held them.

        And somehow they worked for Seiri.

        They couldn't trust her.

        "Judge, Yasuo," one of the council members began, leaning forward in his seat, speaking loudly to be heard by all and hushing the room, "what do we do now?"

        "What even can we do?!" Another exclaimed. throwing his hands up in exasperation. "That headache of a girl killed the most able members of our group. There are none to match her!"

        "Rae betrayed us," one other added, they still didn't know of her real name, "and she'd eluded us thus far but we cannot let those actions go unpunished. What sort of example would that set for the other Priests? For the children?"

        "I'm not so certain about all this," a female voice chimed in, the only woman on the council, seated at one end of their rounded balcony. Her voice was rough and shaky in her old age. "Besides seeking out that teacher and learning about ancient texts, she never did anything to specifically betray us. I think we all jumped to conclusions too quickly. Rae had never shown any signs of betrayal."

        "That was never the point of our decision, Maira, you know that." Yasuo said, cutting off everyone else who thought to speak. "Rae deliberately disobeyed our orders. It was never a question of how loyal she was at the time. It was always about what she would be capable of in the future. She tried hiding what she was learning from us because she knew it was wrong. Yet she continued anyway. Where would that have led? What trouble would she cause down the road? And as she got older, she got better at keeping secrets. We all stopped hearing about the mischievous things she was doing after a while, but yet there were still times when she was suspiciously missing. Always coming back with the same excuse that she needed time alone to meditate."

        "We don't know that she was lying," Maira protested.

        "So you trusted her word after all that we learned? Her actions drew a clear line of the path she was following, would any of you have wanted to gamble the chance that we could have been wrong?" Silence filled the room, "Our decision was right, I don't regret it in the slightest. We just couldn't have accounted for how powerful she's become..." The Judge rubbed his temples, waving a hand to one of the young servants the Order had to help maintain the Temple and keep it in pristine condition, beckoning the youth to take Isamu's body away.

        "Alright," Maira finally said, "then what's our next move?"

        "There is no next move," Yasuo said reluctantly. 

        "What?!" One of the council members stood up in his shock, "We're just letting her go, after everything?! She's killed so many of the Priests! We still have a vacant spot from Shujin death among our council--"

        "And it's been months!" Another interrupted.

        Yasuo slammed his hands down against the long, curving wood that served as a sort of table top--jutting out inwardly towards the seats the council occupied--and stood up himself, "AND WHO WOULD FILL HIS PLACE?! Tell me  _who_  we could trust out of our Order to sit amongst us?! Who would any of  _you_  have take Shujin's place?! As for Rae, shall we send everyone after her? Would you all agree to the slaughter of our numbers just to  _attempt_  to have her killed? Who would be left for us to lead? Who would be left to carry out the contracts I bring in for us? We would be ruined, the Priests would have to disband. We would all lose our power! And the people... they would learn the truth of us and hunt us down for the murders we've committed! IS THAT WHAT YOU ALL WANT?"

        Silence.

        The council member who stood in his shock lowered, deflated, back into his seat.

        Yasuo lowered his voice, regaining his composure, "Do you all think I've not thought through this? There is   _nothing_  that can be done against Rae. We have lost this battle. I would rather forget about her than risk losing all we have built over these many decades."

        "And if she chooses to move against us? It is a fine plan and all to back off, but if she comes after us, what then?"

        "Then it will be over," Yasuo sighed, sitting back down, "we can only pray she leaves her past behind her."

        The council fidgeted in their seats at the Judge's words, looking to each other with worry and irritation.

        "You've grown soft, Judge." One spoke up, at the far end of the table, opposite to Maira. Until now he had remained silent amongst the bickering.

        Yasuo met the gaze of the man who chided him, glaring. "Watch your tongue, Caestien."

        The younger elder's expression was cold but didn't change at the threat. "If the risks all remain the same, I say we go after her one last time.  _You say_  we should pray that she leaves all this behind her, but we all know how Rae is. She'll come for us, she'll want revenge."

        The others murmured their agreement and nodded.

        "Then it will be on our terms," Yasuo resigned. "We will prepared for an assault here, and wait for her to come to us."

        "Agreed," everyone chimed together.


	23. [Sequel] Final Task

        Seiri stood in front of the Hokage, hands clasped behind her back as she waited for Lady Tsunade to finish looking over the paper the red head had given her.

        "You've really thought this through," Tsunade said with an approving grin, "I'm impressed."        

        "I wouldn't normally ask for help, but I know this is a huge undertaking..." Seiri said, slightly apologetic, "...and I know I can't do it alone."

        "Well, you've proven to all of us that you're trustworthy, and I believe your report on that old Order of yours." Tsunade leaned back in her seat, staring out a window, thoughtful. "If what you've told me of the Priests is true, then they can't be left alone to their own devices." She sighed, "They're almost as big a pain in the neck as the Akatsuki."

        Seiri laughed lightly, "I suppose it all depends. The Priests aren't out searching for the nine Bijuu, but their determination to carry out their contracts still causes a whole mess of trouble, all the same..."

        Tsunade turned back to the red head, "Alright, I'll gather our most skilled ninja to help you carry out this mission. But don't put them in needless danger if you can help it."

        "No worries," Seiri agreed. "They won't even see us coming. This should be a quick job."

        Tsunade rested her elbows against her table, one hand resting on top of the other and she placed her chin on the top of her fingers, "One more thing," she added, stopping Seiri mid bow, "these children..."

        "There was only a handful of them when I left," Seiri answered, "Most everyone in the Order is at least seventeen or older."

        "I imagine they won't listen to reason?"

        "I can try... I'll save the children, at least. But my main goal is to take out all of the elders. They're the guiding hand, everything will fall apart without them."

        Tsunade nodded but her expression was dark, "I don't envy your position."

        Seiri's own face became sullen, "Neither do I, but it has to be done."

 

* * *

 

        "You're only just healed up and you're already off on another dangerous mission?" Kakashi asked, watching as Seiri went about packing some of her things for the trip. 

        "I'll be back," she reassured him, stuffing extra kunai into her bag.

        Kakashi grabbed the red head's arm gently, stopping her and pulling her towards him in an embrace. "I know," he sighed. "Just be careful." 

        "Aren't I always?" Seiri beamed as she pulled away, winking at the masked ninja before her. She understood his concern, but there wasn't a bone in her body that told her she couldn't do this. She knew she wasn't going to die on this mission. The Priests were ruthless, but she had never met anyone in the Order that could best her. 

        That reminded her that she needed to brief the group that would be coming with her. Seiri knew Tsunade had already read them her report, but it couldn't hurt to make sure that everyone understood what they would be getting into. And if there were any questions, she would be able to answer them. 

        All packed and ready to go, Seiri stood before Kakashi, his onyx eye boring into her gold ones. "I promise I'll come back," she said confidently, raising herself up on tiptoes and pulling down his mask to place a soft kiss on his lips.

        He seemed more reassured after that.

        "Alright, I'll hold you to that."

        "You know, I'm actually surprised you're not coming."

        "And leave my trio to their own devices?"

        Seiri laughed as she slung her bag over her shoulder, though making sure it wouldn't hinder her from being able to grab her sword that rested against her back. "They seem pretty capable."

        Kakashi beamed with a pride she knew he didn't ever let show around his students, "Oh, they are. But we have a mission of our own to take care of, and I need to be there with them."

        "Didn't you say it was in the Land of Waves?"

        "Sort of. We're escorting a bridge builder named Tazuna there."

        "I heard Naruto hounded the Hokage for that one," Seiri grinned, imagining it.

        Kakashi rubbed the back of his head, "It got him what he wanted..."

        "Well, you be careful out there too."

        "It's just a C-rank mission, it'll be easy enough."

        Seiri nodded and walked towards the door, "We'll see each other in a couple weeks then!" She smiled, Kakashi couldn't help returning the expression, then she was gone.


	24. [Sequel] Finally Free

        Seiri led a large group of ninja stealthily through the tunnels that only she knew how to navigate. The labyrinth spanned the entirety of the Temple and surrounding courtyards and adjacent buildings. She often played down here as a kid to get away from her troubles, and had also trained here with her forbidden teacher on the ancient texts. No one in the Order had bothered mapping the tunnels out, they had no need for them. The Temple was old, far older than the Priests, and most of the passageways had collapsed anyway. So this became her safe haven, her escape from the brutal reality she had lived. If only they knew. Knew that the tunnels connected with various secret entrance ways--most of which were unreachable from blockages and debris, but Seiri knew of one that was still accessible.

        The handful of torches the group carried flickered in the darkness. The yawning tunnels reeked of a stale dampness and dripping water could be heard echoing from far away. More than a few of the ninja shied uncomfortably at the cramped spaces and eerie noises of the old passageways but Seiri assured everyone that it was completely safe. She knew what paths to take and promised that there was nothing to worry about. 

        Every so often, a rock would fall from the ceiling or wall, sounding like a loud crash in the emptiness. A few of the group would cry out at the sound, fearing discovery. Others would scold the scaredy-cats, chiding them that they surely would be discovered if they kept jumping at every little sound. Seiri sighed through all of it, constantly telling them that no one ever came down here, but also that it was impossible for anyone above to hear them. Her forbidden teacher had taught her to be an excellent sword fighter down here and no one had ever heard a thing, there was nothing to worry about.

        As the ninja neared their exit point, Seiri stopped the group to go over the plan one more time. They had the element of surprise on their side. She went over the Temple layout, reminding everyone of important spots or where the Summit Chamber was. They agreed on capturing the children and four ninja were assigned the duty of getting them out and taking them back to Konoha. Sullenly, Seiri reminded everyone that anyone who opposed them was to be cut down if they wouldn't listen to reason. But above all,  _all_  of the elders were to be killed. Their existence threatened many people and if even one of them survived, they could reform the group. 

        They couldn't risk that. 

        At the end of the re-briefing, the group of ninja beamed with confidence. Talking strategy had pushed out their fear of the tunnels and they were ready to move forward with the plan. Seiri nodded in approval as she looked at all of the faces around her. Then, cautiously, she led them to a hatch that opened up at the back of the Larder, just off the kitchen. No one would be there at this time. It was late an no doubt, everyone would be in bed sleeping. 

        Seiri had an inkling that they knew she was coming--but she also knew that they wouldn't expect her to attack from inside, nor at night. A frontal assault always made more sense to the council and they never much considered anything else. They would rather lie their way to victory, and always in a direct way. People invited in religious folk without much thought, and that left them open. There was never really any need for stealth.

        The Larder was empty, and so too was the kitchen. As Seiri had guessed, everyone was asleep, or on their way to be. This made their plan easier, and less likely to be so bloody. 

        The hallways were empty, there had never been a need for internal sentries before so the inside of the Temple proved to be remarkably unguarded. No doubt Yasuo had everyone stationed outside, waiting for Seiri's arrival. A perfect plan in theory if only Seiri didn't know how to navigate the underground labyrinth and also that the tunnel entrance hadn't been so far away from any watching Priest eyes.

        The red head slowly guided her group through the massive Temple before coming to the Chambers of the Council--a long, stretching hallway lined with doors. Each door led to one of the council members' rooms, and at the end of the hallway, the passage curved towards a larger door that connected to the Summit Chamber, just off the side, for easy access in case of an emergency. While practical, it offered the perfect opportunity for the Konoha ninja.

        Seiri instructed the group to branch off into smaller teams, each taking one of the doors and her leading a small group of her own into the Summit Chamber. Once everyone knew what to do, she moved off. 

        The stretching cavity of the Summit Chamber brought a wave of bitter memories to Seiri's mind. She remembered her last days here in the organization, obediently standing before the council as they gave her her final orders--unaware they were signing a warrant for her death. 

        Painful reminiscing aside, entering the room adjacently offered her the peak advantage. Yasuo stood in the middle of the chamber, alone, glaring forcefully at a puddle of dried blood in the middle of the room that had stained the rug. Seiri briefly wondered why he hadn't had anyone clean it up as she silently signaled for the members of her small group to hold their position. It didn't matter though, she didn't care. Though, she admitted that it was a bit symbolic. Here the Judge stood, staring at the blood before him, as if contemplating it and also hating it--yet his hands were stained far worse than the rug was. Did he, too, think about that? Was he regretting his choices now that he knew everything would soon come to an end?

        It didn't matter. 

        Seiri, stealthily, moved up behind Yasuo. She made not as sound as she reached for her belt. She pulled a small blade free, a quiet  _shing_  ringing out it the still room. The Judge's head snapped up and he spun around at the noise, but it was too late. Seiri cut off his cry of alarm as she drove the blade into the elder's heart. His voice caught in his throat and all she saw was the deep panic and surprise at seeing her there. It was obvious that he hadn't expected such a shadowed attack. He had expected loud alarm bells, yelling, brutal fighting. He had expected a chance for he and the other members of the council to have ample time to escape amongst the confusion. 

         _He had expected Seiri to use the main door of the Summit Room to get to him._

        The Judge's body slumped to the ground, fresh blood pooling out onto the rug to join with that of the dried. She stared down at the lifeless body for several seconds, feeling satisfaction, knowing she no longer would ever have to look over her shoulder for an assassin. And the quietness of it all, it was better this way. She hadn't wanted to listen to Yasuo's rambling about giving her a home, about teaching her to defend herself. She didn't want to hear his voice at all. Now, she never had to.

        A cry rang out in the night, followed by panicked shuffling. The Temple inhabitants knew they were here now. Seiri knew she just needed to do one thing. And hopefully, that would end it all. 

        Grabbing Yasuo's collar, the red head began dragging the elder's body out of the Temple. She walked calmly through hallways, passing Priests and servants alike. They all stopped as they saw her, then looked towards the Judge's body in her hand. She saw a darkness fade from their eyes but no one said a word. They let her be on her way, her small group of ninja following behind her. 

        Seiri dragged the body all the way outside, then tossed it towards a gathering of sentries that were trying to figure out what was going on. They were shocked to see her there and started at the sight of Yasuo, dead, at their feet. 

        Seiri stood there for a long moment, waiting as the rest of the Konoha ninja eventually, slowly, emerged to regroup outside--tossing the rest of the elders' bodies into a pile on top of Yasuo. The sentries were paralyzed with their shock, only able to stare at the pile of corpses. Seiri caught sight of the lifeless Caestian and her mind immediately filled with horrible memories. He had been, by far, the most brutal of the council members. 

        Caestian had favored punishment above all else, always looking for a loophole to beat recruits, always searching for even the smallest reason to hand out reprimand. He was a man who loved violence, who loved the hunt of weak prey. Seiri hated him the most. Even Yasuo's cruelty paled compared to Caestian's. 

        Remarkably, what was left of the Temple's inhabitants all emerged calmly, their initial panic gone. Instead, their eyes were full of diminution. They looked lost as they stared at the red head and her group of ninja--who had not lost a single member. All of the Priests and servants about them were teenagers. It wasn't surprising. Seiri knew none of the older members would have agreed to stand down. This would have been the only life they knew, and it would have been too hard for any of them to start over.  

        Young, expectant eyes stared aimlessly. Yet, it was astounding how not a single soul of the Priests around them seemed to even remotely yearn for the position of leadership among the Order. They had all been broken, had nearly lost their will to go on. They didn't know what to do with their newfound freedom.

        Though, Seiri saw gratitude in their eyes, gratitude towards her. 

        "You are free! The elders are dead! This horrendous life we all have lived is over..." Seiri exclaimed, shouting so everyone could hear her.

        The Temple inhabitants looked about at each other and shifted uncomfortably. No one said a word.

        "Be free of these shackles, no one will ever cage us again!" Seiri looked about at all of the glassy eyes that stared expectantly at her, "Let us start new lives, happy ones."

        It was a little boy, one Seiri didn't recognize, that began cheering first. He screamed in victory, the high pitch of his seven year old voice carrying in the silence and lifting those around him out of their trances. More voices joined in, then more still, until all were exclaiming their joy. Some still looked uncertain of their direction, but Seiri could feel their relief.

        They were free.


	25. [Sequel] A New Future

        "I hear you left the ANBU to take on this group of students," Might Guy chimed, oblivious to Seiri's unease at having him in close proximity to her. Not that she didn't like him, she just found him weird. "Ah, the fresh minds you get to mold. It's an admirable thing you're doing!" He gave the red head a thumbs up and grinned widely, his white teeth shining. 

        Seiri laughed nervously. "It's not so spectacular," she said as she rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. "When I rescued all these kids, they had no where to go. The Priests had a nasty habit of destroying the villages that they stole kids from. Every one of them is an orphan. No family, no one to care about them. We only had each other in the Order. I think it's only natural and to be expected that they wanted to come back with me."

        "They trust you," Might Guy added, looking out at the training field, noticing all the forlorn expressions of the teens and kids that sat about the area. "Though, there's an incredible lack of youthful spirit here!"

        "They've had it rough..." Seiri said at length, thinking back to her own time being a Priest, "...and they've all done things that they're probably not proud of."

        "Even so, shouldn't you send them through the academy to become ninjas? Why are you training them alone?"

        "I guarantee you that every one of these kids would pass as a Jonin. They don't need academy training. They need to learn how to interact with the world again. I don't plan on drilling them senseless with training, I plan on getting them to open up and make friends. They need to start their new lives and learn how to be happy again."

        "Well, if anyone can do that, I believe it's you," Gaid said, smiling all the while. Seiri stared up at him, a little amazed at his confidence in her. It was such a switch to what she was used to. 

        She grinned back, the biggest smile she'd ever made, "Thanks, Guy!"

        He blushed at her innocent, appreciative expression--not having expected it. 

        "Am I interrupting?" A familiar voice called from behind. The duo turned to see the masked face of a silver haired ninja. 

        "Ah, my archrival!" Guy exclaimed, hands on his hips as he laughed. 

        "Yo," Kakashi answered back, waving lazily as he made his way over to Seiri. As he reached the duo, he looked out at all of Seiri's new students. "You've got a lot of work ahead of you."

        She smiled, "I know. but they're worth it."

        A brief moment of silence passed before Kakashi spoke once more, "Why are you here, Guy?"

        The taller man chuckled and smirked, "Actually, I was waiting for you, old friend. We have a score to settle!" 

        "Can we do it later, I don't really feel up to a competition?" Kakashi sighed.

        "Forfeiting? I guess today's points go to me then! I believe that evens out our score, and ties us." Guy winked towards Kakashi and Seiri, his expression both confident and a little smug. 

        "So you're only my equal because of cheating?" Kakashi asked, his tone disinterested. 

        Guy shrank, appearing hurt at the accusation. "Cheating?! I would never! Take that back!" 

        "But you just admitted that you're giving yourself points just because I won't go against you."

        Guy grit his teeth, his brow furrowing. Then his expression was calm and he was smiling again, "Let's settle this in a race!" 

        Kakashi sighed deeply, "Alright, alright, if that's what it'll take to make you go away." 

        The two men took up their places side by side just behind Seiri. 

        "Same destination?" Guy asked.

        "Yeah, that works," Kakashi agreed. 

        "And three! Two! One! Go!" Guy called. The duo sprinted off, leaving a trail of kicked up dust and dirt in their wake. Seiri watched after them for a moment, completely confused, before turning back to her students. 

        "Uhm..." She walked over to them, a couple were laughing softly over the absurdity of what just happened, a little bit of life in their eyes, "...I guess we can start our day now." Seiri was grinning though, and she beamed to see her students barriers chip away just a little bit.


	26. [Sequel] Comfortably Embarrassed

        Months passed, going by in a flash before morphing into a new year. Seiri had turned out to be an excellent teacher, and all of the ex-Priest kids really loved her. Occasionally, she wondered about the teens who hadn't come back to Konoha with her. She hoped they were living better lives, happier ones. Though, she knew that whatever they were doing, it was better than the life they had been living. 

        Seiri's biggest challenge, however, had been learning to open up more to Kakashi. They had become an official couple after she had gotten back from rescuing all the kids and killing the Priest elders, but it all still seemed so new to her. 

        Kakashi had no reservations of giving Seiri public displays of affection--holding her hand, stealing a kiss as they walked down the street together, taking her out on dates. He seemed to most enjoy their alone time most, though. Sharing moonlight kisses at the lake, cuddling on the couch as they read books, or just talking into the night. He loved her deeply. 

        Seiri wanted to take that next step though. Only, she didn't really know how.

        With great embarrassment, Seiri sought out Kurenai--the Sensei of Team eight and a woman who Seiri had become great friends with over the course of her time in Konoha. It had taken the red head an immense amount of courage to work up her nerve to ask Kurenai for advice. She wanted to know what to do that would make her virgin experience not come across so terribly--as Seiri was sure that Kakashi had already been with someone before. She wanted her first time to be fun, and she wanted to avoid any awkwardness at all costs. 

        Kurenai looked sympathetically to the red head that sat before her, having gone out for tea together so they could talk alone. While she understood Seiri's reservations, she assure her that there was nothing wrong with awkwardness. 

        "Making love is messy sometimes, don't worry so much about it being perfect. The silliness and awkwardness can be what makes it fun! You can't be afraid to laugh with your intimate partner, Seiri. No one can control everything. But as far making it really enjoyable for you and him, just listen to your body. If it feels good, keep going. If it makes you uncomfortable or something hurts, then stop and maybe try something different. All you need to do is listen to how you're feeling and how he's feeling. Trust me, you'll know if you're doing something right." Kurenai said it all so casually, Seiri admired how comfortable she was talking about these things with her. 

        "But what if it's completely horrible? What if I disappoint him?" Seiri fidgeted with the tea cup in her hands, staring into the dark liquid within. "Should I just... fake it...?"

        "I guarantee you that your first time won't be as enjoyable as the rest. But do not  _ever_ fake it," Kurenai stared hard into Seiri's golden eyes, her own red ones appearing very intimidating. "You guys like each other right? Maybe love each other even? If you fake it, he'll never be able to figure out what it is that you really enjoy--and you need to tell him when something feels good so he knows to keep doing that!--then you'll spend every intimate moment with each other completely miserable because you're not getting anything out of it."

        "I need to tell him? In the middle of it?"

        Kurenai sighed, taking a sip of her tea, "Oh Seiri... it's not as weird as it sounds, I promise. In the heat of the moment, you'll find that it's really easy to tell him when something feels pleasurable." 

        "If you say so..." 

        "Well, with all that out of the way, I think we should get you something so you feel extra confident and sexy!" 

        Seiri shrank a little, uncertain, "What do you mean?"

        Kurenai smiled softly, encouragingly, "You need something to wear that will make you feel beautiful and assertive!" 

        "Clothes?"

        Kurenai laughed, "More like lingerie." She winked at the red head and Seiri's cheeks flared a bright red. 

        "What? No... no, I couldn't do something like that! I couldn't wear something so risque in front of him!" 

        "Trust me," Kurenai said as they paid their tab and left the tea shop, "you'll thank me later."

        Seiri wasn't so sure, but she submitted to the older woman's wisdom.

 

* * *

 

        The more Seiri thought about it, the less ready she felt. She was already nervous about making that next step with Kakashi, now she had a wonderfully devious set of black lace laid out before her on the bed. She stared at it, completely unsure and entirely nervous. Though, Kurenai had assured her that it was okay if she wasn't ready to wear it yet. Seiri was in control, she wouldn't be forced into anything. If she didn't want to wear the set, she didn't have to. 

        Seiri shook her head. No, she wanted to do this. 

        Gingerly, she stripped out of her clothes and picked up the lingerie. She turned it in her hands, admiring the work of it. Then she slipped the set on. 

        Seiri had to admit, the feel of the lace on her skin was amazing. It was soft and silky, and as she looked at herself in a mirror, she admitted that Kurenai was right. She felt  _good_  in the set. It cupped all her features in the right ways and definitely bolstered her confidence. To finish it all off, she slipped on a black silk robe and then walked out into the living room to read while she waited for Kakashi to come home.

 

* * *

 

        Seiri yawned as the day grew late, night enveloping the sky into a vast, dark blue-black. She felt herself drifting off as she slouched down and let her head rest against the arm of the couch. Just as her eyes fully closed, the front door opened and closed. Seiri faintly heard the sound of keys being dropped on the counter before footsteps approached her. 

        She heard a deep chuckle as someone lifted her up, arms sliding under her knees and shoulders as she was cradled. She was carried into the bedroom where strong hands tucked her beneath the blankets. 

        Seiri stirred, rolling to her side and opening her eyes to gaze up at the knowing smile of Kakashi. 

        "I see you bought some new things," he said playfully. 

        Seiri hummed, "For you." 

        Kakashi stripped down into some comfy pajama pants before climbing into bed next to the red head. He kissed her shoulder, wrapping his arms around her and cuddling her close. "Mmm, tomorrow... You're tired and we both need sleep."

        Seiri rolled over so she was laying on her other side, facing that beautiful smile of the man she loved. She hummed again, grinning sleepily, closing her eyes, "Tomorrow then." 

        Then they shared a soft kiss before drifting off into a blissful sleep, wrapped in each others' arms.


End file.
